


Ramble On

by kellykat1889



Series: Highway Life [1]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: AU somewhat, Baby (impala) - Freeform, Comedy, Crossroads Deals & Demons, Demons, Dysfunctional Family, F/M, I suck at tagging, Romance, Season/Series 01, Stick with me guys, Still Hunting, Supernatural Elements, Team Dean, Team Free Will, Tragic Romance, WIP, Wendigo, Will add tags on, Yellow-Eyed Demon - Freeform, it gets good, season one
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-08-29
Updated: 2017-02-09
Packaged: 2018-02-15 06:57:16
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Major Character Death
Chapters: 7
Words: 43,214
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2219820
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kellykat1889/pseuds/kellykat1889
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Kat James came home from a movie one night in '94 she never expected to find her dad being possessed. Nor did she expect to be adopted by her mom's friend John Winchester. 11 years later she is still on the road with her now boyfriend Dean. John is missing and they have to pull Sam back in to find him. Season 1 but with a twist! Dean/OC</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Woman in White Ep. 1

Woman in White pt. 1

As we pulled into a quiet sleepy street filled with apartments for students I thought back to how I came to be in the ’67 black Chevy Impala that has been my only home since I was fifteen years old. How the Winchester became my family and showed me a life I had no clue existed. My mom had always told me to be afraid of what was out there in the dark, to trust my instincts and in the end not doing that was what got her killed. It was currently Halloween and we were in Stanford, California and I wasn't too comfortable with the reason we were here. It had been four years and a lot has changed since we last saw or since Dean had even talked to Sam. We had been watching him, tailing him to be more precise, and trying to find the perfect time to get him alone to talk. When we realized he wasn't going to be alone anytime soon we headed back to apartment to wait until Sam got home. It was at this point I started to think back to the night that changed my life forever.

_Eudora, Kansas (1994)  
It was Friday night, spring had finally arrived and it was still warm outside, I was walking up to my house after going to the movies with a group of my friends. We had gone to see Beverly Hills Cop III. My friend’s older brother had bought us the tickets and watched it so that we could go in. All my friends thought we were pretty bad ass, but I was more worried about what would happen if my parents found out. _

_My dad had been acting really strange for the past week; usually he was fun-loving and the nicer, easier parent .Now he was cruel and every once in a while I would swear his eyes would turn as black as coal. When I finally told my mom she looked alarmed but just said that I was seeing things and then she left to talk to someone on the phone. That was yesterday, for the rest of the night mom avoided me like the plague. She seemed relieved to hear I was going out with my friends and seemed to hint that I should sleep over. I really didn't feel like going over to my friends house anymore so I left them when we came to the place we usually go our split up to go to our own house._

_When I got to my house only one light was on and it was in the dining room hat we never use. I walked in to find my mom being tied to a chair, bound and gagged. She had blood running down from her head to her cheeks. She looked barely conscious, yet not scared of the attacker. I quickly hid behind the door frame and waited to see who the attacker was. I was shocked and scared to find out that it was my dad._

**Stanford, California (2005)**

“Snap out of it Sweetheart, Sam and his girl are home and it looks like they went to bed.” Dean said waking me up from memory lane.

“Dean, are you sure we need him? I mean he looks happy! Sam got out and is living a normal life, just like he always wanted and deserved.” I said turning to him somewhat begging him to reconsider.

“Kat, don’t you think if I thought it wasn't necessary I wouldn’t be here? You think I want my little brother to leave his apple pie life?”

“I know, I know. It’s just-” I begin but was interrupted by his mouth on mine.

“I know. Now let’s go and see what normal people’s houses look like, huh?” he said winking at me and opening the driver’s side door. I let out a sigh and followed suit. “Oh don’t drag your feet.This is just a small trip, it will be over and done with quickly and then little Sammy will be back to his cherry pie life here in Stanford like he is supposed to be.” Dean reassured me and pulled me across the street into an alleyway. We paused briefly so that Dean could pick the lock and then crept silently into Sam’s apartment. It was dark, except for the moonlight shining through the windows but I could still tell it fit Sam perfectly. Once my eyes adjusted I could see Dean walking around quietly but at the same time not really caring to hide. I figured that Sam would realize that someone was walking around uninvited soon so I took a seat on his kitchen table to view the show that was surely going to be taking place soon.

I wasn't kept waiting as I heard a door open and watched Sam tense in preparation to attack. He walked by me and I let him, why ruin the show I thought. Sam grabbed Dean in a headlock that was easily broken by Dean who then pushed him further into the room. Dean threw up a front kick, punches were thrown and I couldn't help but wonder how much longer Dean was going to allow this to go on. I knew Dean wasn't tiring and he had a lot of bent up anger for his younger brother leaving us. Just as I finished asking myself that Sam threw his own kick and Dean was able to block and get close enough to throw Sam on the floor.

I guess Sam’s eyes readjusted to the light and I could see the recognition in his face, “Dean?” he said out of breathe and shocked. Dean gave a little chuckle.

“You scared the crap out of me.”

“That’s because you’re out of practice.” Dean grunted taunting his brother. With that Sam wrapped his legs around Dean and forced him onto the ground with Sam ending on top pinning Dean under his body weight.

“Or not.” came Deans replied laughing more. Sam got up and off his brother.

I decided that that was enough of a reunion for the brothers and stepped out of the shadows nudging the back of Sam’s knee so he would buckle slightly.

“Easy there, Sammy. People might think you didn’t like us.” I said and threw my arms around him.

“Kat?!” He asked turning towards me and I did a little bow to him. He smiled and wrapped me in a big hug that only Sam could give me, I had missed these so much.

“Of course it is Kat, who else would it be?” Dean said getting off the floor and shaking his clothes off.

“What the hell are you doing here?”

“Well I was looking for a beer.” Dean joked with a smile but that died as soon as he saw the serious look on Sam’s face.

“What the hell are you guys doing here?” Sam asked again not messing around.

“Okay, all right,’ I said interrupting what would soon be a little brother’s spat, “We gotta talk Sam.”

“Uh the phone?”

“If we had called would you have answered?” I asked, no response was given. Sam knew every time one of us called in the last four years he never picked up.  
The lights came on and a little blonde in a smurfs shirt came out, “Sam?” she asked looking at us confused.

“Jess...” Sam said trying to pick the right words to explain who we were. Dean stepped forward and sized Jess up, trying to lay on the Winchester charm.

“Dean and Kat, this is my girlfriend Jess.”

“Wait, your brother and sister?” Jess said excitedly, Sam just nodded apprehensively.

Dean stepped forward, “I have to say, you are way out of my brother’s league.” I came up and hit the back of Dean’s head.

“Hi Jess, it’s nice to meet Sammy’s girlfriend.You really are beautiful.” I introduced myself to the blonde trying to figure out what to make of Dean.

“OMG you are Kat! Sam has told me so many good things about you! Though you might want to get better control over this one here.” She joked

“Believe me, I have tried many times over the years. Dean, here, is uncontrollable sadly.  
Dean walked up next to me and wrapped his arm around my back and pulled me in tighter. I looked at Sam and could see his shock and amusement at the gesture of intimacy. When he left us four years ago we were still trying to ignore the forbidden feelings we had for each other.

“Well anyway, I gotta borrow your boyfriend here to talk about some private family business but, uh, nice meeting you.” Dean said getting a little anxious and wanting to get the show on the road. Sam protested saying that whatever we wanted to say could be said in front of Jess. Dean tossed a frustrated look to me and I took over trying to get Sam alone. I told him that Dad hasn't been home for a couple days and Sam just wasn't getting it, telling us that dad does that and will stumble on in at some point.

“Dads on a hunting trip.And hasn't been home in a couple days.” I repeated seriously, I watched as what we meant sunk in.

“Jess, excuse us. We have to go outside.” Sam said turning to Jess she nodded and went back into their bedroom.  
\-----------------------------

Sam followed us down the stairs outside, lecturing us on how irresponsible and delusional we are if we really think that he is going to drop all his responsibilities to go looking for our father.  
When Dean says we need his help to find him, our eyes meet and Sam sighs, “Remember the poltergeist in Amherst, or the devils gate in Clifton? He was missing then too, he is always missing and he is always fine.”

“Not for this long. Are you going to coming or not?” Dean said frustrated.

“I’m not.” Sam said simply, looking down at me and Dean from the step above us.  
When Dean asked why I couldn't help but give a half hearten smile, he simply did not get why anyone would want out of this life. This life was all that Sam ever wanted and all that he had worked for.

“I swore I was done hunting.For good.”

“Come on, It wasn't easy, but it wasn't that bad.” Dean said walking off. I had to tell myself to take a step back and let the two brothers deal with it themselves. There was a lot of resentment on both sides. Dean felt like the Sam deserted us when we needed him and Sam just couldn't get over the fact that his older brother took dad’s side when Sam told us he wanted to go to college. I did my best to mend the broken bridge over the years by staying in touch with him while he was in college but the only way for those two to really repair the rift was by having them fix it their selves.

Sam followed Dean, “When I told Dad that I was afraid of the thing under my bed he gave me a .45.” he said incredulously.

“What was he supposed to do, Sammy?”

“I was nine! He was supposed to say, ‘Don’t be afraid of the dark!”

Dean shouted that of course he should be afraid of the dark and that Sam knows what stuff is out there. I sighed at hearing that. I feel bad for him, he truly doesn't get it .He was so young when he became a part of the hunting life he never stood a chance. Myself, I still remember the cherry pie life that I had before the Winchester became my family.

Sam then went on a rant about our life growing up and our Dad’s obsession with finding and killing whatever had gotten their mom and how they were no closer to finding it today than they were when Dad had just started. I knew the subject on their mom was always a touchy one for Dean, he still remembered his mom and the fire that changed their lives. Sam was only six months old, too young to remember anything.

“And we save a lot of people doing it too.” I cut in, stepping out of the shadows and letting them remember that I was still here.

Sam looked at me with his eyes soften. We all took a little pause, all of us remembering that I was one of the people our dad had saved. If it hadn't been for John I would not have been alive right now. Dean pulled me to him and gave me a kiss on the forehead.

“You think mom would have wanted this for us? Do you think your mom would have wanted this for you?” Sam asked both of us.

“My mom knew this was a good possibility for me when she called John. She knew what could have happened and knew he was a hunter so yes. I think she accepted this as my fate.” I replied honestly, it wasn't a question I hadn't asked myself a time or two.

Dean, though, didn't like that question. He turned and stormed back to the Impala with me following and Sam following me.

“All the weapons training and the melting silver into bullets. Kat we were raised as warriors!”

“And we were kept alive because of it! Look I am not saying we had the best childhood but we were given the best life available to us, Sammy. Dad did the he best could and taught us how to survive in the real, real world.” I was torn. These two were my saviors, my life. I hated having to side with one over the other but I would never say I had a horrible life. My loyalties were with the Winchesters, all of them.

When we caught up to Dean and the Impala, Dean turned to Sam asking if he was just going to go back to his normal, apple pie life and Sam told him it wasn't normal, but safe.

“That’s why you ran away.” Dean scoffed.

“I was just going to college, Dean. Dad’s the one who said if I was going to go I should stay gone.” That argument was one of my worst nights with the Winchesters and often tried to forget it. “And that’s what I am doing.”

“Well dad is in real trouble right now.” I said looking at Sam, pleading to him to help us, just this once.

“If he isn't already dead.” Dean mumbled looking defeated. I marched right up to him and slapped him hard. I don’t usually hit Dean, like really aim to hurt. I was just so mad and scared that I couldn't take seeing him so defeated. Especially with regarding Dad being missing.

“Son of a Bitch, Kat!” Dean said shocked and grabbed his cheek, rubbing it out.

“You don’t say that! You can’t say that! Dad is alive, he has to be!” I cried angrily.

“Sammy, we can’t do this without you.” Why couldn't he just see how much we need him.

“Yes, you can. You two have been doing this by yourselves for four years.” Sam said.

“Yeah, well I don’t want to.” Dean said piping in. I did a little mental fist pump because I knew that would reel him in. My thoughts were confirmed when Sam let out a sigh and asked what Dad was hunting. Dean opened his trunk and opened the spare tire section with a shot gun and started going through our arsenal we keep in there. He was mumbling and looking for all the paper work that we had collected about what Dad was hunting. I found it tucked in two boxes of ammo and handed it to him to save all of us minutes of him looking.

“So where were you guys when dad was off hunting this, whatever it is?” Sam asked. The last time we all hunted together Dad was nowhere near ready to let us go off on our own.

Dean and I shared a look, “Uh we were up in Massachusetts working on a big witch coven. We destroyed it but Kat here got hit with some real powerful spell flu thing. You should have seen her man. Vomit coming out of the wazoo. She had to spend weeks in the back of Baby.” Dean tried to make it sound like no big deal but in truth, whatever I was hit with really did take a toll on me. I was still recovering and it had been like almost four weeks. Sam looked up and over to me with a concerned look on him. I shook my head, not wanting to focus on me. I just wanted to find dad.

“Dad let you two go on a hunting trip all alone?” Sam asked impressed.

“Hey I am twenty-six!” Dean said proudly.

“And I am twenty-five.” I laughed hitting Sam lightly. We often worked solo trips, with dad doing his own thing same as us. It had to be a very rough case to get all three of us on the same hunt nowadays.

We explained what we had found out about the case that Dad was last known to be working on. Apparently on some high way near a town called Jericho in California a man went missing. His car was founded on the side of the road just abandoned. He was on the phone with his girlfriend when he told her he would call her right back and that was the last time he was ever heard from. Sam suggested he was maybe just kidnapped, which was possible but then Dean pulled out more news articles from different months and years all showing the same stories but with different men.

“All men, all same stretch of road within five miles of each other.” Dean showed Sam.

I pulled out a map and laid it across the hood of the car where a nearby street lamp gave us enough light. “It started happening more and more, so Dad went to dig around. That was about three weeks ago and we haven’t heard from him since, which is bad enough.” I looked up and Sam’s eyes met mine, they had a worried look.

“Then we got this voice mail yesterday,” Dean said pulling out a recorder and pressing play,

“Dean… something big is starting to happen… I think it’s serious… I need to try… to figure out… going on. It may be… be very careful, Dean. We’re all in danger.” The voice mail ended.  
Sam noticed that there was EVP, some things really are just like riding a bike. We played it back with just the EVP and heard a creepy woman’s voice saying she can never go home. Once we were done with the record we tossed it in the trunk with the rest of the weapons and shut the trunk with a big thud. Dean pulled me in between his legs and looked to Sam.

“You know, in over two years I've never bothered you, never asked you for a thing.” Dean said.

Sam sighed, looking back at us then looking to his apartment, “All right, I’ll go. I’ll help you find him.” He looked at me trying to figure out why we thought we needed him so badly. I didn't want him or really Dean to really know how out of it I still was from whatever happened to me in Salem. Also, Dad’s message really shook me to my core, and that doesn't happen a lot.

“But I have to be back first thing Monday.” Sam said walking back to his apartment, I can only assume to let Jess know and to pack some clothes.

“What is on Monday?” I called after him.

He turned around and seemed like he didn't want to tell us. “I have this… an interview?”

“What a job interview? Skip it” Dean asked.

“It’s a law school interview, and it’s my whole future on a plate.” Sam explained.

Dean smirked, “Law school?” raising an eyebrow towards me. I was impressed and I let a smile out towards Sam so that he knew how awesome it was.

“So do we got a deal or not?” Sam called out as he started walking towards the stairs.

Dean didn't say anything he just nodded. He waited until Sam was inside then turned to me, “Law School?”

I just smiled and turned to face him, “I think it is great. He seems so happy here.” I told him kissing him softly. Dean obviously didn't agree with me.

“Are you sure we really need to drag him along and away from his life here?” I asked quietly. Something told me if Sam left with us he wouldn’t be able to come back.

“Yes Kat, we need the extra man power. You are still not over your witch cold/flu thing. Don’t look at me like that; you know you can’t hide much from me.” He told me. I blew out a huff in frustration and let it go.

I may not be able to hide much from him but he can’t hide much from me either. “Dean, you are not leaving me here!” I gave him my cold glare that gets me my way every time, “Dean… No!” I growled.

“Fine but you are staying in the car. I need you to keep your energy up and get well rested.” Dean said giving in.

I grinned and slid my hands down and grabbed his ass cheeks and gave them a squeeze, “That’s fine, I remember always having fun in the back seat of Baby.”

“I can’t disagree with you on that, Sweetheart.” Dean chuckled as he slid he hands over my hips and started stroking the bare skin just above the top of my jeans. He then leaned in and started to kiss along my neck softly nipping and sucking on my neck drawing a moan out of me.

I pulled back with half dazed eyes, “You have the worst time, ever.”

“When it comes to you, I take any time I can get, any place and anywhere.” He said wiggling his eyebrows and giving me his mischievous smile.

I rolled my eyes and pushed myself off of him and opened the back seat, waiting for Sam to come out. Dean followed me into the car but sat in the front seat and drummed his fingers to some classic rock beat. Sam appeared and we were off heading towards Jericho to find our Dad.  
\-------------------------------------------

**A gas station the next day**

When I woke up the next day I heard the Allman Brother’s Ramblin’ Man playing in the front of the car. I groaned stretching out my neck and looked out the window and saw that we were at some back road gas station. I rolled my window down trying to get some fresh air into the Impala. I saw Sam going through the box of cassettes trying to find any good music.

“Good luck finding anything after 1989.” I said startling Sam.

“Morning, Kat. How did you sleep?” He said putting the cassettes away and turning to me smiling.

“Like I spent the night in the back of a ’67 Chevy Impala.” I said with a smirk.

“Smart ass. Yeah I don’t miss those days at all. I now have a comfy Tempur-Pedic.” Sam said rubbing his life in my face. He knew how much I missed having a real bed.

“Just stop already. Don’t even go there or the first thing I will do when we drop you off is to take a nice long sleep in your Tempur pedic.” I said shoving him a little.

Sam laughed, “I think I can make that happen for you Kat.”

I jumped forward and gave him an awkward hug since we were divided by the back of the seat, “We really did miss you, Sammy. Four years is too long.” I whispered.

When I pulled back Sam nodded with a sad expression. It told me that he had missed us too and I instantly kicked myself for letting dad convince Dean and me that it was better to stay away from our little brother.

“Hey,” Dean called out to Sam as he was walking to the car, “you want breakfast?” waving a bunch of junk food in his face.

“Uh no thanks.” Sam replied pulling a face at the food choices. Dean just shrugged and handed me a muffin and a cup of shitty coffee through the window.

“Morning Sweetheart.” He said smiling and ruffled my already messed up hair. Dean then went to the back of the car to finish filling his baby with fuel.

I looked to the front and saw Sam giving me a questioning look, this must have been a big difference to the Dean he always knew. His brother was always a one night stand type of guy and it was a huge deal for Dean to be in a relationship. Sam always considered me to be his big sister, from the first night that I was placed in their family. It would be another thing for Sam to process that his older brother and ‘sister’ are now in a relationship, since the last time we were all together we had been fighting like cats and dogs because of all the sexual tension.

He stared at me for a minute and then opened his mouth like he was going to ask a question then shook his head and turned around.

When Dean had gotten back into the car Sam asked how we were paying for all of this and if Dad and us were still running credit card scams.

“You know hunting ain't exactly a pro ball career.” I said popping my head between the two.

“Besides, all we do is apply,” Dean said cutting in, “it’s not our fault they send us the cards.”

“Yeah? And what names did you write on the application this time?” Sam asked looking over to his brother.

“Uh, Burt Aframian… and his son Hector.” He said putting his snacks and fountain soda down and turning the car engine over. “We scored two cards out of the deal.”

As we pulled out of the station Sam went back to the pile of old cassettes, “I swear man, you've gotta update your cassette tape collection.” And it starts…

“Why?”

“Well, for one they are cassettes tapes,’ with that I let out a laugh, “And two, Black Sabbath?” grabs another tape, “Motor Head? Metallica?” Dean grabbed the Metallica tape from him and shot Sam a look of warning.

“It’s the greatest hits of Mullet Rock.” Sam said laughing.

“But Sam those are classics. All other music sucks.” I joked along with him, hearing this all too often.

“Well, house rules, Sammy,” Dean said grabbing all the cassettes and dropping them back into the box they came from, “Driver picks the music, and shot gun shuts his cake hole.” Dean looked at me in the mirror and smirked, “No back seat driving either! You are to stay in the back seat and be navigator and secretary as usual.”

“You just wanted to get me in the back seat huh?” He just laughed and shook his head.

“If I just wanted to get you in my backseat, Sweet heart, I wouldn’t have to try so hard.” He said making me and Sam laugh. “Right, Sammy?

“You know, that Sammy is a chubby 12 year.” He replied wanting to change the subject quickly. “It’s just Sam, OK?”

Dean turned on AC/DC loudly to make it a point of ignoring what his brother just said. I leaned back and sipped on the shitty gas station coffee. God what I wouldn’t give for a Starbucks coffee.

“Sorry, I can’t hear you, the music is too loud!” Dean shouted and pressed the gas pedal down a little further.

\--------------------------------  
 **Later on that day, Still in the Car**

I had a phone attached to my ear for the last hour and a half calling every hospital and morgue within a 50 mile radius of Jericho. It was getting exhausting. 

“Ok, Thank you.” I said hanging up with yet another hospital, “Alright, there is no one matching Dad’s description at any hospital or morgue around.” I said as we passed a sign that read “Jericho 7 miles”

“That’s something, I guess.” Sam replied, Dean just shot a glance at Sam and then focused on something that had caught all of our attention.

We were approaching a suspension bridge that had two cop cars parked near the entrance. Local cops were out walking around and talk on radios and looking down toward the river. We pulled over a little farther away from the excitement and we all paused for a second and then Dean made a decision for us. He leaned over and opened the glove box and started to look through all of our fake IDs. I had no clue which ID he was looking for but I did know that there would only be IDs for the two of us and not one for Sam. When Dean finally pulled two IDs out and leaned forward and tried to fix my hair so it would look a little more professional.  
I put my hand out, waiting for my ID when I felt Dean tuck a strand of loose hair behind my ear and heard a chuckle from Sam. I looked over to him and saw Sam putting on a badge. Where the hell did that even come from?

“Oh no, no, no and no, Dean! You are not fucking leaving me in a car. I am fine to do some routine investigating.” I cried out.

“We agreed you would come along only if you stayed in the car and rested. So that is what you are going to do, cherry pie.” Dean said and hit under my chin lightly to lighten up my mood.  
I slammed back into my seat and I acted very maturely, that’s right I pouted. I pouted like a little five year old that was told she wasn't getting any dessert. Both brothers chuckled, shook their heads and went towards the officers. Dean was in front and Sam was following behind, he was a little out of touch and had never been investigating without Dad. I leaned out the window as much as I could but still couldn't hear a damn thing.

I gave up trying to hear and called Dean on my cell. I saw him stop walking, take out his phone and look up towards the car and at me, “What? Is everything ok?”

“Yes, other than being kept in a car. Put me on speaker so I can at least here what you find out.” I snapped looking at him the whole time; I know he can see my scowl. I saw him laugh and then put me on speaker and into his pocket. I was then a little more OK with having to stay in the car.

I saw Sam and Dean walk right up to the officers like they owned they had every right to be there, just like dad taught us.

I laughed when I heard the officers say that the boys looked too young to be Federal Marshall's and rolled my eyes when Dean thanked him. He walked right past them ad began to inspect the car, I was dying to check the scene out but right now Dean was going through his protective stage. I mean Dean is great but he can over react a little. I am his partner damn it, not the little fourteen year old girl who would cry at night over missing her parents. He was usually good about it until I got hurt.

Dean mentioned to the officers about the other cases that appeared to be just like this one.

“Yeah, that’s right. It happened about a mile up the road, and there have been others before that.” An officer replied.

Sam stepped in and asked if he knew the victim with the officer replying that in a small town like this you knew everyone. Dean asked if there was any connection, when we found out there wasn't any, they asked about any theories that were going around. Other than a serial killer or a kidnapping ring they had nothing. Small town police were never any help, always ended up being a bigger pain in our asses.

I cringed when I heard Dean say something about them doing a great job, obviously being sarcastic. Sam thanked them for their time and Dean walked away. I bet Sam was pissed; he never had Dean’s disrespect for authority. I tried to watch them but they were still a little too far away to get a clear view. All of a sudden I heard a sound and Sam groan, “Ow! What was that for?”

“Why did you have to step on my foot?” Dean growled, oh god here comes the married old couple.

They started arguing more about how the police had no clue and always got in our way. As they were bitching I noticed that a few police officers started to walk over and I wanted to warn them but I couldn't so I tried to sink down in the car and stay hidden. I heard Sam clear his throat so I am guessing he noticed the sheriff coming up behind Dean. Dean told him that they were just leaving and started talking and noticed that two guys in suits came walking passed them, definitely FBI.

When the boys finally returned to the car I popped back up, “So what now?” I asked.

“Now, we got a distraught girlfriend to find.” Dean said starting the car back up and peeling towards town.

\------------------------------

**Jericho, California**

Once we reached Jericho, I was rested and ready to do some hunting. I went to get out of the car and Dean asked where the hell I thought I was going. We had a fight about how I should be resting and how I swore I was fine. We ended up coming to an agreement that if I got woozy or Dean thought I wasn't up to it then I would go back to the car no questions asked. I couldn't just sit on the side lines anymore with this hunt. Dean knew I hated being left out and he liked to keep me as happy as possible.

We went out on the town looking for the latest victim’s girlfriend. It wasn't long until we found her; she was handing out flyers that had Troy’s face on it. I walked up to her and the boys followed behind.

“Hi, are you Amy, Troy’s girlfriend?” I asked her politely, trying not to freak her out.

“Yeah.” She said confused, I saw her eyes travel up to the boys.

“We are Troy’s cousins. I am Kat and these are my brothers Sam and Dean. Troy has told us so much about you.” I tried to pull out my friendliest smile.

She started walking away, “He never mentioned you to me.” Bitch

“Well that’s Troy, we were never really around much. We are from Modesto.” I explained. It’s always easiest to play the estranged family role.

Sam stepped up and told her that we were here to help look for Troy and he asked if she would mind answering some questions and telling us in her words what really happened. She looked at her friend that had joined up with her and they both shrugged. Real emotional people we have in this town.

We went to a diner across the street and Amy told us how her and Troy were talking on the phone and how he said he had to go but he would call her back. He never did. I nodded and looked over to Dean. He looked bored out of his mind but I knew better. He was paying attention to the conversation but he was also paying attention to the other people in the diner. Why? I do not know but I do know that is was always better to just let him do his own thing.

I tried to make small talk with the girls, to get them to open up a little more. I somewhat slipped up when I commented on her necklace. It was a pentagram and I gave her the real meaning of the necklace. The girls just looked at me like I was this stupid loser and Dean just chuckled and called me Unsolved Mysteries.

Dean finally broke his silence and told the girls that we were suspicious of how Troy disappeared and if they heard anything different or had any ideas to please let us know. The girls looked at each other suspiciously.

“What is it?” Dean asked.

“Well it’s just that… I mean, with all these guys going missing, people talk.”

“What do people talk about?”

Amy’s friend started talking about this local legend about this one girl who was killed out on Centennial high way decades ago. Some towns people believe she is still out there looking for hitch hikers and the unfortunate ones that do pick her up disappear forever.

All three of us nodded and told them thanks and we left. Sam and I knew where we were headed next, the Jericho Library.

\-------------------

When we got to the library we quickly found a spot at a computer and Dean started to put in keywords to try and find something on all newspaper headlines to no avail. Sam pushed us aside and shockingly found it in one try.

It was an article about a woman who had killed herself over grief of her two young children dying. She jumped off the bridge where the police were when we headed into town. While Sam was reading more of the article, I looked around the library and shivered. The library was one of the darker ones that I have been in. I really didn't like libraries because of an incident that took place in high school. Dean saw me shiver and looking around. He pulled my chair closer and wrapped his arms around me giving me a safe feeling. I looked at him and gave him a quick kiss letting him know that I appreciated his PDA.

Sam showed us a picture of her, she was beautiful. “Constance Welch, 24 years old”

“Does it say why she did it?” Dean asked.

“Yeah, an hour before they found her, she calls 911. Apparently her two little kids are in the tub and she leaves them alone for a minute and when she comes back they are both dead.” Sam summarizes.  
\------------------------  
We waited until it was dark and took a drive over to the bridge. We parked the car at the beginning and walked to the middle. I leaned over the railing and took a look at how high the drop was. It was a pretty decent height, not necessarily high enough to be a kill jump but if you hit a rock or shallow part it would do the job. I got off the railing and took a look into the night. The moon was shining bright and it was actually quite romantic. Maybe if Dean and I was a normal couple we would be walking along a bridge just like this one. Holding hands and whispering sweet nothings in each other’s ears. For some strange reason I keep thinking more and more about what life would be like if we were able to get out.

Dean stepped up to me and questioned me with his eyes. I smiled and shook my head. Dean needs me with him; I could never tell him that I was wondering about how different life would be if we got out.

I told them that this was where Constance bit it and Sam asked if I thought Dad was here.

I nodded and Dean said “Well, he is chasing the case and we are chasing him.” He said shrugging and turning to walk off the bridge towards the car.

Sam looked at me and asked, “So what now?”

Dean turned, “Now we gotta keep digging until we find him. Might take a while.”

“Dean, I told you, I’ve gotta be back by Monday.” Sam said, looking at me desperately. All I could do was throw him a smile in support; if he wanted to get out and was able to then all the better to him.

Dean stopped, paused and turned around, I caught his eye quickly and I could swear I saw sadness. It was gone before I could get a second look and if someone who didn’t spend every waking moment with that man they would have never seen it. I know how he was feeling because I too was getting used to having Sam around and I really loved it. We were almost like a family again.

“Monday. Right, the interview.” Dean said flatly.

“Um, yeah.” Sam said itching to shuffle his feet and look away. I wanted to say something to lighten up the tension but I knew that this had to happen and things needed to be said between the two brothers.

“Yeah, I forgot. You’re really serious about this, aren't you? Think you’re just going to become some lawyer? Maybe marry your girl?” Dean said angrily, he was trying to make it seem impossible for that to happen for Sam. He knew it was impossible for us, I could also detect a hint of jealously.

“Maybe, why not?” Sam said defensively.

“Sam, does Jess even know about what you do? Know about all this, your past?” I asked, needing to know.

“No, and she is not ever going to know.” Sam said aggressively.

“Maybe she should know. I mean, it can’t be a good thing keeping everything in and having to lie about your past and your family.” I said softly. I really didn’t want to fight anymore.

“Well that’s healthy.” Dean added in sarcastically, “You can pretend all you want, Sammy. But sooner or later you’re gonna have to face up to who you really are.” With that Dean turned around and started walking towards the car. Sam turned to me with a look of desperation, hoping I could do something. I knew I couldn’t help the situation even though I truly wanted to.

“Who’s that, Dean?”

“One of us.”

“No, I’m not like you. This is not going to be my life.” Sam said angrily, walking towards Dean

“You have a responsibility to-”

“To Dad, and his crusade?” Sam interrupted. I quickly started walking towards the two knowing this would only end badly. “If it weren't for pictures I wouldn’t even know what Mom looked like! And what difference would it make if I did? Even if we ever found the thing that killed her, Mom’s gone and she isn't coming back!” Dean grabbed Sam roughly by the collar of his shirt, making me flinch.

I calmly walk up to him and rest my hand on his arm, “Dean, just stop.” I whispered. Dean took a deep breath and let it out. He was still holding Sam trying to choose his words carefully.

“Don’t ever talk about her like that.” He finally whispered forcefully and I swear I saw Sam take a gulp in fear. Dean then let go of his brother, shrugged off my arm and walked away.  
I knew he needed some space, as much as it pained me, I went over to Sam and checked him out. 

“Are you OK? You know how he gets when you mention your mom. Why did you have to bring it up?”

“Because it is true Kat, I don’t remember her yet I have waged war for all my life. I am not Dean or my father.” Sam explained, pleading the same case I have heard over a hundred times.

I nodded and looked up to see Dean’s posture had changed; something had obviously caught his eye. “Sam.” I said prompting him to look where I was.  
There she was, Constance Welch, standing on the railing wearing a tattered white dress. I started running towards Dean, joining his side within seconds.

She looked over at all three of us and then she stepped off the railing and disappeared. We ran over and peered off the bridge into the river but there was no sign of her. Dean stood back up from over the railing and looked around, “Where did she go?”

I just shook my head because I had no clue and I didn't like it. All of a sudden behind us we hear the Impala’s engine turn over and roar to life and we were blinded by the car’s headlights.

“Who’s driving your car?” Sam asked

When Dean pulled his keys out showing us that he had the keys, the car jerked towards us angrily and didn't stop coming. Dean yelled for us to jump and pushed me towards the railing. Before I knew it I was flying over the railing. I panicked and started flailing around midair trying to find anything to hold onto. I accepted my fate and know I was going into the water when all of a sudden I felt a sharp and hard tug on my arm and I saw that I was hanging onto someone. I looked up and saw that it was my baby brother that had been savior this time. I swung my loose arm over and gripped his arm and together we pulled me up.

Now it was his turn to make sure I was OK and all in one part. Once he was sure I was OK I realized I wasn't seeing Dean and he had went over the railing with me. I ran up and looked over screaming his name, 

“Dean? Dean!” I couldn't help put panic and I started scanning the top of the water for body, “DEAN!!”

“What?!” I heard him call back. I looked towards the voice and saw a dark figure lying on the river bank caked in mud. I was so relieved and ran down off the bridge and jumped on him, I may have shed a tear or two but no one needed to know that.

“Hey are you alright?” We heard Sam call out from on top of bridge.  
Dean gave him his A-OK signal, “Oh I’m super!” He said than flopped back down and kissed my forehead.

I told him to never fall over a bridge without me on his arm again. He just laughed and then we got up. We got up to the bridge and found the car working perfectly; Dean called her a bitch and I pulled out a towel for Dean and myself, “Well, she doesn't want us digging around.” Dean stated.

When I cleaned him and myself up as much as possible I looked up at him and suggested we find Hector Aframian a shower. He winked at me and pulled us into the car.  
\-------------------------- Motel in Jericho  
When we checked in we found out that Dad had rented out a motel room for a whole month under the same last name that we had. Once we got our keys and room we went over to take a look at Dad’s room to see if we could get some clues to where he could have gone. Sam was able to pick the lock within seconds and when we opened the door we were surprised and confused by what we found.

Every inch of the walls were covered in newspapers, pictures, maps and Dad’s scribbled notes. He had to have been working on something bigger than just this case. The place looked disgusting, trash and junk food wrappers thrown around, a half-eaten fast food meal was still lying on the plate waiting to be eaten. Dean ran his finger over the coffee table and a thin layer of dust was evident on his finger.

“I don’t think he has been here in a couple days at least.” Dean said.  
Sam mentioned about the salt that was lined at the door and window sill. I tried not to let the feeling that something bad had happened take over but I just kept thinking about the voice mail that he had left a few days earlier. I looked at the farthest wall and saw that it was a wall of all the Centennial Highway victims.

Dean walked over to me and asked what all the paper was about, I told him who these people were and we began looking more in depth at the scrap paper hanging on the wall. Dean was complaining about how there couldn’t be any connection. Different ages, races, jobs, you name it they were different. Sam was staring at another wall that had more papers but with Dad’s handwriting on the papers. Slowly but surely Sam and I pieced together what John had figured out.

We explain to Dean that Dad realized Constance was now a woman in white and decided what we needed to do now. Dean was adamant that if dad knew he would have burned the bones so we decided to go and talk to her husband. Dean told us to look up her husband’s address and that he was going to take a much needed shower.  
Sam apologized to Dean about what he said about mom and Dean groaned about chick-flick moments.

Dean then proceeded to throw his still mud caked shirt at my head only warning me to catch. Sam laughed when it hit my head saying I must be a saint for putting up with him.  
“No I am just insane.” I laughed, Sam joined in when Dean yelled that he heard that.

We decided just to stay in Dad’s room, maybe it was because we felt closer to him in here but we played it off saying he already “paid” for it. I laid down on the bed and turned my head, I saw two things that made me sure dad didn't leave voluntarily. There were two pictures that dad always kept with him. The first one was of him, Sam and Dean on the hood of the Impala. Sam must have been seven or eight and Dean wore a baseball cap and was just becoming a little teenager. They did look really happy though, I imagine that is the reason Dad always keeps with him. The other picture was of my 21st birthday four years ago. It was a couple weeks before Sam broke the news that he was going away. It was the last time we were all together as one big happy family.

Sam followed my line of site and was soon staring at the pictures also. He went up and plucked them from the wall and brought them over to us. “Dad would never willingly leave these behind Kat.” I nodded and had to leave the room so as he wouldn’t see the tears and fear in my eyes.  
I walked over and grabbed my bag and then moved to the bathroom door, took a big shaky breath. I walked right and took a second to admire Dean, my god he was so hot. I had to admit that I was one lucky girl. He turned around and winked at me, still washing his hair.  
“Want to come and help me get extra clean?”  
“In your dreams, Pie Guy.” I said smiling.  
“Oh honey you don’t even know the half of what we do in my dreams.” He retorted and gave me a smirk.

I shook my head and grabbed a wash towel to freshen up and started brushing my teeth. By the time I was done freshening up Dean was out of the shower. I was smart enough to take an extra pair of his clothes for him to change in. When I handed them to him he smiled and got dressed. After he pulled me against his chest and kissed my neck right below my ear. I shivered and he chuckled.  
“Did I do the right thing bringing Sam back into this?” He asked allowing his guard dowN, something he rarely did, only around me.  
“You did what you had to do. As much as I hate admitting it, I am not really back to my full strength. Sam understands.” I whispered to him. He grunted and let me go reaching for my hand and pulling me out of the bathroom.  
We were all exhausted and quickly went to bed.  
\---------------------------------  
When I woke up I saw Sam hunched over a chair with the phone to his ear listening to a voice mail message. I was fucking starving and I heard Dean n the bathroom doing God knows what. My stomach rumbled and it alerted Sam to the fact that I was awake. Hearing my stomach made him laugh, “I forgot how much you and Dean are alike with food.”, he joked. He seemed in a much better mood. He told me that he put Dad’s pictures in his bag for safe keeping and I expressed my thanks. Shortly after Dean came out in a great mood.  
“Right so first thing on the agenda is getting some food, and then we are going to go over to Ol’ Man Welch’s house and find out where Constance is buried so we can burn her and find Dad. Sound good to everyone?”  
“Sounds amazing, I am starving!” I said swinging my legs out from the blankets and jumped up. Shortly after the room went dizzy, both Sam and Dan rushed to stop me from falling on the floor.  
“Hey, hey. What’s wrong?” Dean asked, concern shining through his green eyes.  
“It’s nothing, just got up too fast and am starving.” I lied.  
“No, you are anything but ok. What’s wrong? Headache? Fever? Nausea?” He asked  
“No I am just a little dizzy, that’s all.” I said silently asking him to drop it. Not in front of Sam, I don’t want to be considered weak.

Dean nodded, he knew all about my dizzy spells. I have had at least two every week since Salem, fuckin witches and their black magic.  
Dean looked at Sam, they were communication silently, no doubt about me.  
Dean stood up and put on a brave smile, “Well how about I go and grab us some food and Kat here stops being a little princess.” I smiled and chuckled.  
“Double Pork Roll with cheese if they have it. If not just pancakes with lots of syrup.”  
“You got it Sweet Cheeks”, he winked then bent closer, “Please rest while I am gone. Don’t think I didn't feel you tossing and turning again last night.” He kissed me and left the room.

Sam just looked at me waiting for an explanation. He was too used to his brother being the player and me trying so hard to appear like he had no affect on me. I know we owed him an explanation and maybe once we found Dad we would go back to Stanford and give him one. I just couldn't put it on Dean to make him hear and live through it again. Not when he has been so stressed out about Dad missing.

“When this is done you will know everything Sam. It’s just too much for me and him to relive right now.” I offered laying back down trying to get a little rest.  
Sam’s phone started ring, when he answered he looked more alert.  
“What?” He asked and I sat up, curiosity always gets the better of me.

I waited in silence as whoever Sam was speaking to talked. My eye caught something going on outside and I moved slowly towards it trying to be a snoop. There were officer outside at the motel talking to the manager. The manager pointed to Dean and the officers started walking over to him.

“Wait, what about you?” Sam asked worried. It was then that I realized he was talking to Dean who was trying to warn us. I guess Dean hung up on Sam because he walked over to me putting his hand on my arm trying to steady me. We watched as Dean shrugged at whatever the officers were telling him. The officers looked towards the window and we backed up trying to stay hidden. I watched as Dean got slammed up against the police car and Sam had to hold me back. We watched as a cop started walking towards our door.

I looked at Sam, “It’s time to go.” He said and ushered me through the back of our room. We managed to get our bags out and ourselves out just in time as the cops came through the door. I don’t think they saw us but we climbed out the window. Sam jumped first and I followed. I fell to my feet and with the help of Sam I was able to stagger away.  
\-----------------------------  
We arrived at Mr. Welch’s residence and all I had to say was it wasn't the dirtiest and dilapidated place we had ever been too for a hunt. We introduced ourselves as journalists writing an article. When he asked if we were working on the same article as the other journalist, we knew he was talking about Dad. Apparently he had been by three or four days ago. Sam and I shared a look of hope. Mr. Welch asked what kind of article we were writing because Dad was asking strange questions like where his wife was buried, which we had him repeat for us again. He had moved from the Breckenridge house because he couldn't stand living in the house where his children died and where he lived with a family that he no longer had.

Usually, to be a woman in white the woman sticks around to haunt their husbands who were unfaithful to them. We ask Mr. Welch if he ever remarried and he claimed that he loved Constance and he could never remarry.

We tell him about the lore of the Women in White. Women wronged by unfaithful husbands and how they go temporarily insane and kill their children. In their wild grief they end up taking their own lives and are left to forever haunt unfaithful men; men that remind them of their own husbands.

At first Mr. Welch doesn't believe us but I think we somewhat had him convinced or at least we had gotten to him. All of a sudden he is screaming at us about how he may have made a few mistakes but Constance would never have killed their kids and screamed at us to get off his property which we did with pleasure. p>

At least now we knew where the bitch was buried now.  
\----------------------------------  
We were walking out of a new hotel room, one paid for by Sam using his real credit card, and we noticed that it was getting dark pretty quickly. Sam went to the Impala and opened the door, “You sure you are OK and want to do this?”  
“Yes, for the last time Sammy, I am fine! Plus we are losing day light and I hate digging up graves at night.” I said shivering for emphasis.

We laughed at the last part because any normal person would hate digging up graves at all. Sammy left after giving me directions to the police station and told me to just grab the first car I saw and to meet us up at Breckenridge. I nodded my understanding and went on my way.  
It was impulse really; I saw a brand new convertible and just had to drive it. I got in and hot wired it to start; I loved hearing the engine purr. I quickly took off and headed the direction Sam had told me to go.

When I turned the corner to the police station I saw Dean casually walking over and talking on the phone, presumably to Sam. I pulled over and asked how much?  
Dean gave me his crooked smile and told me he couldn't afford me but he would work out a deal.  
“No, not you Sam, Kat… No you don’t really want to know.”  
“Well that’s what I am trying to tell you. He’s gone. Dad’s left Jericho.” Dean told him, I perked my ears up and did my best to hear Sam on the other line.  
“I have his journal.” Dean told us and tapped his chest to show me that he is keeping it safe.  
“Dad doesn’t go anywhere with that.” I said starting to worry even more, if that was possible.  
“He did this time.” came the response. Why would he leave everything precious to him behind?  
I heard Sam ask if he left a message behind and Dean told us that he did what he always did. The ex-Marine left coordinates, “No I haven’t exactly had time to look them up sitting in Jail.” Dean said to Sam.  
I started to say that there is a map in the Impala when I saw Dean’s face go serious.  
“Sam? Sam!” Dean yelled into the phone but got no response.  
Without Dean even telling me to go I put the car in drive and sped away to the place we all knew Sam had went, the Breckenridge Farm.

\---------------------------  
 **Breckenridge Farm**

It was dark by the time we got to the farm and I dimmed the lights and put the car in park. We could see the Impala since the headlights were still on. We snuck up quietly and popped the trunk, needing some weapons to fight the ghost off. From the trunk we could hear a struggle in the front of the car, we could also hear Sam talking to someone but we couldn't see who. I grabbed my shot gun just in time when I heard Sam yell out in pain. I sprinted over to the front and saw the ghost bitch on top of him; when Sam saw me he called my name and the ghost disappeared.

I leaned over him and asked if he was OK, he opened his shirt and I gasped at the red welts the ghost had given him. I turned around to get Dean’s attention when she reappeared. I raised the shotgun, took aim and blasted. I hit the windshield, making it shatter but I also hit Constance, making her wail out and disappear once more. She came back quickly but this time closer to me. I panicked, having a flash back of another hunt that ended badly, before I could snap out I was thrown back against a tree.

When I was able to focus again I saw that Constance was back in the car with Sam. I heard Sam scream something about taking her home and then right after the Impala surged into the house. Dean who was still rummaging in the trunk looked up at me against the tree in pure confusion. He ran to me and then we watched the car crash through the front porch and into the living room of the old house. I screamed Sam’s name and told Dean that Sam was in the car. Dean ran into the house as fast as lightening.

We heard Sam coughing and rushed over to the driver’s side. Dean went over to help him and I stayed back looking and waiting for this bitch to resurface, my shot gun resting on my shoulder ready to aim at whatever came at me.

“Can you move?” Dean asked leaning in to the car through the window.

Sam coughed but nodded and asked if he could help him get out of the car. I watched as Dean leaned in further and pulled his brother up to a sitting position and open the door for him to get out. A blip of white caught my eye and I turned on the spot, finding myself face to face with the ghost. Before I got my footing I was thrown again up against the living room wall and pinned there by the back of a couch. I then was forced to watch my boys pinned between the car and a bureau.

All of a sudden the lights started flickering and I saw the carpets on the stairs start to flood. Constance paused and looked up to the top of the staircase and I saw fear in her eyes. I followed her line sight and saw two children holding hands and smiling, “You've come home to us, Mommy.” They said creepily in unison and then flickered away.

Constance looked at me like she was hoping I could do something. Her children then appeared before her and gave her a hug, she wailed in pain, whether physical or emotional I wasn't too sure. I felt a surge of energy sweep through the house and I watched as Constance and her children seemed to melt into a puddle before our eyes. As soon as they disappeared the items that were pinning us released and moved back to where they came from. I rushed over to the boys making sure they were both OK. Dean gave me a quick kiss and turned to Sam, “So she drowned her kids?”

Sam nodded, “That’s why she could never go home, she was afraid to face them.”

“Good job Sammy, you found her weak spot.” I smiled, patting him on the chest, forgetting about this injury.

“What the hell were you thinking, Kat? Shooting the ghost in the face!” Sam asked laughing through his pain.

“Jerk! I saved your ass!” I said laughing with him, “Rock salt, gets them out of your face for a few minutes.” I explained, this was something that we had discovered after Sam had left us for Stanford. He nodded and showed his interest for learning something new.

While Sam and I were playing around Dean had gone over to inspect his baby, “Well I’ll tell you one thing. If you did damaged to my baby, I will kill you.” Sam and I laughed a little nervously, we weren't too sure if he was kidding or not. The look Dean gave me told me we would have a talk about me willingly shooting out the window. I sighed but it wasn't like it hasn't happened before and won’t happen again. I nodded to show my understanding and walked over to the back seat to lay down.

\---------------------------

**A dark highway out of town**

I was still laying down, my eyes were closed and I was just listening to some Metallica. Dean had pulled out a blanket and draped it over me in hopes that it would help me get some rest. It did relax me, since it smelled like him, but I was still too focused on the fact that we hadn't found Dad to really go to sleep.

“The coordinates point to Blackwater Ridge, Colorado.” Sam informed us, looking at the map

“Sounds charming, how far?” Dean asked concentrating on driving.

“About 600 miles away.”

“Hey, if we shag ass, we can make it there by morning.” Dean said smiling at Sam.

I opened my eyes and sat up knowing not really knowing what was going to happen.

“Dean, um… I,” Sam said trying to figure out how to let his big brother down, I closed my eyes and let out a sigh.

“You’re not coming.” Dean stated, I could hear the let down in his voice.

“The interview is in like 10 hours. I have to be there.” Sam said trying to get us to understand. I put my hand on his shoulder letting him know that I got it and it was ok.

Dean nodded but was still disappointed, “Yeah, Yeah I will take you home.”

My heart broke for Dean, I knew he hated when the people he loved left him but I knew he never allowed himself to really feel sad. The rest of the ride was unbearably silent. We pulled up to Sam’s street and when Sam got out he opened my door letting me switch to the front seat.

Once I was seated he closed the door and leaned down, resting his arms on the opened window, “Call me if you find him?” he asked timidly.

I smiled and Dean just nodded silently.

“And maybe we can meet up later.” He asked clearly not ready to leave and abandon the renewed relationship.

“Sounds good, Sammy.” I said and Dean just replied aloofly “Yeah, alright.” I knew I would have to push Dean into visiting but I wasn't going to let the brothers drift apart again.

Sam leaned over and told me to take care of him and myself then gave me a kiss on the cheek and started to walk away.

“Hey, Sam!” Dean shouted, leaning over me and closer to the window. When Sam turned around and looked at us Dean continued, “We made a hell of a team back there.” Again my heart broke for him.

Sam smiled wide, “Yeah, we did.” And with that he gave us a wave and turned back around.

I leaned over and gave Dean a hug knowing he needed one. He smiled and put the car in drive and took off.

\-----------------------

We were a mile away from Sam’s apartment when I remembered I left John’s pictures with Sam. He could have the one where they were younger but I wanted the one from my birthday.

“Dean! We have to go back, Sam has the pictures from Dad’s hotel room. I need my birthday one!”

“Jesus Christ Kat, fine let me just turn around. No need to freak out.” Dean said irritated that I shouted in his ear.

I looked out the window as we turned around and my gut told me something was horribly wrong. We turned down the street and in the distance we saw the sky lit up with an orange hue. My heart dropped, I had since the hue before when my own house was burnt to the ground. We pulled the car to a halt and ran out and down to Sam’s apartment.

“Sam? Sam!” Dean cried and ran into the burning apartment. 

I yelled for him to stop but I knew nothing I would say could stop him. I waited a couple minutes for Dean to reappear, if he didn't I would run in to bring him out. Just as I was about to run in I saw him pulling a struggling Sam out the building. I ran to them and heard Sam shouting for Jess, I then realized that she must have been in the building and couldn't have been rescued.

Dean went over to the car to get Sam some water to clean out his lungs and when Sam went to run back into the apartment I grabbed him and held him to me. He struggled a little but then just went limp in my arms sobbing hysterically. Dear God, why couldn't these boys just have one good solid thing in their lives. I thought to myself. Haven't they given enough? I heard the sirens coming and pulled Sam farther away from the still raging fire.

About an hour after we had gotten there, I was sitting on the curb and Dean was watching the fire company, police and EMTs go about their business. The fire had been contained and they had found Jess’ body in their bedroom. When Sam had told us what happened we knew that whatever had gotten their mom had now gotten Jess. Dean looked down at me and let out a heavy sigh. We turned around and watched Sam go through the trunk take out and load a shot gun turned to us. The look on Sam’s face scared me a little. I had seen that face once before on Dad and Dean’s face when I almost died, it was the look of having nothing left to lose mixed with revenge.

Dean pulled me up and we walked to our brother and our car. Sam sighed when we got to him, he looked at us again, threw the shotgun in the trunk then slammed the trunk shut.

“We’ve got work to do.” He said without emotion, he had made the decision for us, we would find Dad and help him hunt down the fuckin thing that killed their mom and Jess.

We all got in the car and drove off into the night towards Blackwater Ridge, Colorado.

 

**I have always wanted to make a fic about a woman hunter that grew up with the Winchesters and to get her point of view through Supernatural. This story will cover season 1 and possibly half of season 2. I definitely want to do more than one story with this plot line so please let me know how you guys like it. I will obviously not be doing every episode. Just the ones I think will fit well with the plot. If you have a favorite episode you want me to do in season 1 let me know and I will incorporate it. Thanks Guys!!**


	2. The Catalyst

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While looking for clues on what killed Jess, our favorite threesome are hold up in a motel outside of Stanford. With Dean out doing laundry Kat decides to tell Sam the story of how they got together and how John allowed it.

This chapter isn't coinciding with any episodes in season one. I wanted this chapter to be more focused on Dean and Kat’s relationship and a little bit about their history.

\----------------------------

**Hotel room three hours out from Stanford.**

It had been about a week since the fire and we have been trying to get any leads possible about where the monster that killed Jess had gone. Much to all of our anguish, we have found nothing. With the only evidence burnt to a crisp we had no exhausted all of our ideas and any leads we thought we had. I was sitting on the little dinette counter on the hotel room looking through Dad’s journal again for anything Sam or I might have missed. Once again finding nothing I got frustrated and threw his journal across the room and onto our bed.

Sam looked up from his computer and smirked, “Nice throw. Still couldn't find anything new?”

“No. It’s killing me that we are no closer to finding any answers than we were a week ago.” I groaned and hopped off the counter.

“Yeah, think how I feel.” Sam said quietly looking back down then out the window of our room.

“Sammy, I… I can’t even begin to express how sorry I am. Jess, um, she seemed really sweet.” I told him softly. He still hasn't said much about that night or about Jess in general, but you would have to be deaf not to hear him waking up in the middle of the night and sobbing.

Dean had left about thirty minutes ago to do laundry for all three of us so we would be alone for at least two hours. Dean hated doing laundry and it always took him the longest between him and I but we decided I was the more comforting one that Sam needed right now.

“Thanks, Kat. You guys would have gotten along amazingly. Every story I told about you she just laughed and said she loved you already. I just can’t believe she is gone. Can we- can we talk about something else please?” Sam begged, I could hear his voice cracking and agreed quickly.

I sat down at the table across from him and grabbed his hand, “I believe I owe you the story of how your brother and I finally got together. Want to hear it now? I would rather like to do it without him here. He beats himself up over it.” I explained.

\------------------------------

_**Claremore, Oklahoma 3.5 years ago** _

_Dad, Dean and I first came to town when we heard about a group of 23 year olds that have all died in less than three months. We had found out that the victims were all friends throughout high school and were quite the popular group . At first we weren't too sure what it was that had been hunting down the victims but with a little more digging around I was able to piece together what was really happening and why._

_This group had played a horrible prank on a less popular girl, who had a crush on one of the guys. The group decided it would be funny to lead the poor girl on and have the guy ask her out on a date. The guy told her to meet up with him at a less than reputable part of town and wait for her there. The girl being so excited did what he told her to; she waited about an hour and then realized she had been stood up. Just as she was about to leave some strangers walked up to her and proceeded to rape and kill the poor girl._

_Dean, Dad and I thought the murders were an act of revenge by the girl that was treated so cruelly and believed that since she had unfortunately killed all the members of the group she just needed help passing on and that is where we came in._

_Everyone had been on edge since Sam had left for Stanford and even though it had been almost 6 months it was still a touchy subject._

_Dean and I spent more alone time because John would go off on his own and spend many hours at the local bar. Sometimes the tension between him and I was unbearable but we never did anything other than sharing some stolen looks and lingering touches; other times we were so frustrated that we just ignored the other’s presence. Though something has changed in the last couple days, Dean has been more affectionate and we even kissed yesterday! It was only the third time but it was amazing, yet still forbidden by John._

_John suggested we head out to her family’s old farm house that was now abandoned. John told us to go ahead of him and that he had one other thing he wanted to look up so we just shrugged and got in the Impala parked next to Dad’s beast of a truck._

_We pulled up to the abandoned house and began getting weapons from the trunk._

_Dean looked down at me as I was grabbing a cast iron fire stoker. I looked up at him and asked if he was ready to kick some ghost ass._

_“Are you sure you can handle this tonight, Kat?” Dean asked._

_“What the hell is that supposed to mean?”_

_“It’s just that the past day or so you have been showing sympathy for this ghost. Maybe with all the shit that has happened with Sammy leaving us you have gone soft or something. Just want to make sure you aren't too emotional to have my back.” He said shrugging like it wasn't a big deal._

_“First off, asshole, I sympathized with the girl that was raped because of a joke, you should be able to understand why. And second, how dare you say that I am little my emotions get the best of me. At least I have emotions!” I said storming off into the house without him._

_I was so pissed at him for even suggesting I couldn't handle this case. I have been involved in way harder hunts under much more stress before and came out just fine. If that is his opinion of me than that’s just fine, he can go fuck himself and leave me alone._

_I had gotten into the house and was climbing the stairs towards the girl’s room. I can only assume that is where a spirit of a 17 year old girl would hide. Dean quickly caught up to me at the landing on the second story. He called my name and grabbed my wrist. I spun around fully intending on punching him but when I swung I tripped over my own feet and fell hitting my elbow on the hardwood floor._

_Dean’s eye softened and he reached out to pull me up. I slapped his hand away and got up by myself._

_“Kat, come on. You know I-” I put my hand out stopping him._

_“Stop. Just stop Dean. Leave me alone and let’s just do this.” I said back away from him._

_“Kat, you know I didn't mean to hurt you! Goddamn it!” He yelled in frustration._

_“If you don’t think I can handle hunting than maybe I should just follow Sam and go to college with him. I could have a normal life, a better life!” I shouted, surprising even myself by the words coming out of my mouth._

_All of a sudden I was lifted in the air. I looked to Dean and he ran looked as shocked as I was. I tried to cry out to him but I felt a force punch me and all my air was knocked out. I flew right past him at lightening sped and down the hall. I felt my back hit the glass and then felt tiny little cuts all over the back of my body. It happened so quickly that by the time I realized I was flying I was already on the ground laying on whatever broke my fall._

_I groaned in pain and tried to roll over on my side and screamed. I looked to my side and saw a wooden stake piercing through my side. I knew I wouldn't be lucky enough to have it miss some organ._

_I heard Dean crying out my name and saw him running. He was at my side and kneeling down by my side, his eyes full of concern and worry. I cried out his name in pain and tried to move closer but a new pain, this time in my shoulder, prevented me. He saw what I wanted and gently lifted my head onto his lap._

_“Kat, you-you are going to be OK. You’ll be OK.” He said quietly, trying to reassure both of us._

_I tried to pull the stake out but Dean firmly pulled my hand away, “You can’t do that, sweet heart. It will only do more damage.” He told me and pulled out a cloth and wrapped it around the stake and my leg tightly. I opened my mouth to speak but I started coughing and couldn't stop._

_“Kat? Kat just calm down.” Dean said frantically trying to calm me and him down._

_Once the coughing subsided I needed to say something, “Dean, I-I’m sorry. I didn't mean what-”_

_“Hey, I am the one who should be apologizing. I was acting like an ass.” Dean interrupted._

_“Will you stop interrupting me!” I snapped at him. His eyes softened and he whispered his sorry. I closed my eyes and took a deep, hurtful breath. “Dean, I…” I paused, I knew I was dying and I would be damned if I didn't tell him at least once, “I love you.” I whispered. I closed my eyes, partly because the pain was starting to get unbearable and also because I couldn't see the rejection in his eyes._

_“Stop, you are not dying. You can’t die.” Dean said forcefully. It was almost like he was willing me to stay alive. I answered him with another coughing fit._

_“Dean, it hurts, everything hurts so much.” I cried, “Please just make it stop.”_

_Dean moved my head from his lap and laid down with me. He carefully wrapped his arms around me. He kissed my forehead leaving his lips lingering. I closed my eyes trying to ingrain the feeling into my memory._

_“Dad is going to be here soon, I promise. We will make it better. Kat, you can’t leave me. You just can’t.” Dean told me, with fear in his voice and in his eyes. His eyes also told me something I wasn't prepared; he loved me. I knew it was something that Dean never really said and I know it took a lot for him to even show._

_We laid there for what seemed like forever but I’m sure it was only a few minutes. I soaked in his warmth and the feeling of safety that I always felt when I was surrounded by him. Dean kept talking and I was fighting hard to stay conscious and listening to his voice was helping a little._

_All of a sudden I knew what I had to do. It was like a light bulb went off; I had to survive, if not for myself then for Dean._

_“I’m not leaving you, Dean.” I whispered._

_“You promise?”_

_“Of course, who else will call you out on your bullshit?” I said laughing but winced once again because of the pain._

_I heard Dad’s truck roaring down the drive way at a high speed and knew I was closer to being saved. Dean told me to stay awake but all the sounds were beginning to sound muffled and my eyesight was getting darker. I tried to tell Dean how tired I was and I couldn't stay awake much longer but I wasn't sure if he heard me._

_I woke up to loud annoying beeps and surrounded by a strong smell of cleaning supplies. I opened my eyes and saw Dean watching some daytime TV chat show and saw Dad sleeping on a chair pulled up to my bed. I tried to sit up but gasped in pain, this alerted Dean to the fact that I was awake. Dad woke up and grabbed my hand kissing it, “Hey Kitten, how are you feeling?”_

_“Like I got pushed out of a two story window.” I said, once a smart ass always a smart ass._

_Dean was standing behind Dad and looking unsure of how to act. Dad got up and told us he was going to get the doctor._

_Once Dad had left Dean had walked over to me quickly and kissed my lips, “Don’t ever do something like that again, alright?”_

_I nodded my head and gave him a quick kiss. I didn't plan on it happening ever again. Dean sat down on the chair and grabbed my hand. We both had a content look on our faces and when Dad walked into the room with doctor it didn't take him long to spot our hands._

_The doctor gave me a prescription for some pain meds and told me the list of my injuries. I had a dislocated shoulder, a bad concussion a few cracked ribs, no spleen and countless bruises and cuts over my body. I found out that I had been unconscious for four days. It took my body a while to recoup the amount of blood I lost and then with the surgery I had come down with a little fever and infection so yeah my body had the shit kicked out of it._

_Once the doctor ran some tests they deemed me ready to leave. The nurse helped me into the obligatory wheelchair and started pushing me towards the exit. I saw Dean and Dad talking, more like arguing, as I got closer I saw Dad end the conversation and turn to me with a smile._

_“You and Dean are going to head out before me and I will meet up with you in a little while. I just have a few things I need to deal with and people to check in with.”_

_I nodded and stood up slowly, I hugged him and told him to be safe and keep in touch. Dean walked up to me and gently eased me into the front seat of his baby. We pulled out of the hospital and I noticed we were heading southeast and towards a highway._

_“Dean, where the hell are we going? You can’t just kidnap me whenever you feel like it, you know.”_

_“Calm down Sweet heart. Dad told us to take a vacation so that’s what we are doing. We are going to Key West! I heard it’s beautiful and I know you have been wanting to go someplace warm. This is the farthest south in the country that we can drive. It could be fun, right?” Dean said smiling._

_“Key West? Oh my god this is great! I have only been once when I was like ten with my parents! Dean you are amazing, have I told you that lately?” I asked laughing and Dean just shook his head and laughed carefree._

\----------------------------- 

_**Hotel near Stanford** _

Sam sat looking like he was in shock. “Wow, Kat are you OK?” 

“Sammy, that happened years ago. I promise I am OK, from that accident at least, I was just really lucky I guess. I must have an angel watching over me.” I said shrugging. I was over that accident and have been trying to put it behind me ever since it had happened. Dean would bring it up every once in a while when he was feeling down on himself. 

“Dad must have freaked.” Sam stated, and freaked Dad did. 

“Something changed with him the day I woke up. I guess with you leaving and me getting seriously hurt he started to doubt the life he pulled us into.” I said sadly. 

“That explains what made you and Dean get your heads out of your asses but how did Dad find out? I can’t really believe that he would just ignore it. He was always against any feelings other than sibling to exist.” 

“It sorta went just like that. I don’t really know why or how this happened but I will tell you all that I know and saw with how Dad accepted us.” 

It still was somewhat a mystery as to why Dad allowed us to start dating but I knew never to question it. The saying never look a gift horse in the mouth described the situation perfectly. I saw Sam lean forward more and I could tell he was ready to hear more on how Dad agreed to let us be together. I smiled because he reminded me of a kid waiting to hear his favorite story. 

_\----------------------------_

_**Key West, Florida (4 weeks after OK)** _

_Dean and I made the trip over and down to Key West pretty quickly and then picked the first motel that was listed in a local phone book. Dean had filled my prescription before we left Oklahoma and he made sure I took them the moment I showed an ounce of pain. Because of this the first week of our vacation consisted of me sleeping, either on a lounge chair by the pool or in our room. I started to feel better at the beginning of the second week and started to push myself a little more every day._

_For the past two days we had been rained out and being stuck in our hotel wasn't much fun. We had moved our relation a little further with heavy make out sessions and light petting but every once in a while my body would cry out in pain and Dean would fly back across the bed and wouldn’t go near me for at least an hour. Frustrating, I know._

_Since we were restricted to our motel room, thanks to the weather, we were on edge. We haven’t really spoken to Dad since we left Oklahoma, which was not like him. Dean was worried, added on to the fact that we have been in one place for more than a week, it was fair to say Dean was as moody as a teenage girl on her period._

_I was lying on our bed trying to read a book I had “borrowed” from an abandoned lounge chair but I couldn't concentrate. Dean was pacing back and in front of me, trying to burn of some of his energy. He was either pacing, asking if I was OK or asking if he should call Dad._

_“Dean, if you do go out somewhere I will castrate you!” I growled at him after an hour of his pacing and questions._

_He looked scared and grabbed his coat telling me if I needed anything not to hesitate to call him. I promised him I wouldn’t hesitate and let out a sigh once I heard the door shut and the engine of his baby purr. ‘Ahh! Silence.” I thought to myself._

_About an hour after Dean had left I heard someone walk up to the door and start picking the lock. I rolled over to Dean’s side of the bed, holding in a gasp of pain, and grabbed his gun that he kept under his pillow and ran over to the side of the door. I didn't have to grab salt because Dean already made sure it was at all the entrances and redrew the line every time one of us went through the door. It was getting darker outside and I forgot to put the light on so it was a little harder to see._

_The door opened and I waited until the person stepped in then I hit him with my good elbow and brought him down to his knees. I then held Dean’s gun to the back of the guy’s head, “Who are you and what the fuck do you want?”_

_The guy started chuckling, “Well I am your Dad and would a Hello kill you?”_

_“D-dad? Where the hell have you been?” I asked shocked, we haven’t heard from him in two weeks._

_“Well I-“ just as he started to explain._

_“Hey, we should go out tonight. I don’t know maybe a dinner and a movie?” Dean said walking through the door, interrupting John._

_“Dinner and a movie huh?” Dad asked raising his eyebrows up towards me, I just looked down at the floor._

_“Dad! Where have you been? It has been like forever since you checked in with us.” Dean yelled shocked that his dad was in our room._

_“Well it took me a couple of days to figure out a way to kill the poltergeist and then once I did, I figured I would go and pop in at Bobby’s and then I caught a job with some other hunters. I knew Kat needed to rest so I gave you guys a long vacation.” Dad explained. We knew it wasn't all true because we had been on the phone every day with Bobby asking if he had talked to dad and he hadn't._

_Dean shrugged his coat off and put it on the back of the kitchen table, “Well do you want me to pick up some food? I bet you are starving from all the hunting and driving you did.”_

_“Nah I was just going to go down to Sloppy Joe’s and get some beer and maybe a burger. It sounds like you two had plans. Don’t mind me.” Dad said casually and walked out of the motel room._

_We ended up going out to dinner and a movie and it was nice to go out on an actual date and pretend we lived a normal cherry pie life. I missed the normalcy sometimes but I couldn't imagine living a life without John, Dean or Sammy. By the time we went to bed Dad still was not home. We figured it as safe to sleep in the same bed as long as we were turned away from each other, just to be safe._

_I woke up from another nightmare and saw Dad walking out the door with a couple beers in his hand. At some point during the night Dean had rolled towards me and slipped his arm around me, pulling me closer to him. I slowly pulled myself away from his arms, trying not to wake him. When I got away successfully I pulled on my jacket and walked out the door to see where Dad had gone. I didn't have to look for very long and saw him sitting on the trunk of Dean’s car. He didn't see me coming and was staring out at the ocean._

_I quietly walked up to him; he turned towards me and offered me a beer. I sat down next to him and we just stared out into the dark ocean._

_After a while he finally spoke, “You know I never wanted this life for them. Mary and I had an agreement with your mom and dad that if anything ever happened we would take care of the others kids. Mary and your mom grew up in this life and wanted out since the time they were 16. When we had Dean, Mary told me she was so happy he would never know what this life was like. I feel like I failed her and your parents. What Sammy is doing, going to college, is what I wanted for Dean too. It’s what I wanted for you too, Kitten.”_

_“They know that.”_

_“Do they though? Sam was practically born into this life and Dean was only four. He can’t remember much about our life before. Dean and Sam were so young they don’t remember any other life. Maybe it was the wrong thing to do, dragging you along and into this shit hole of a life. Do you ever want something more, like Sam?”_

_“Never, you took on a scared teenage girl and made her feel safe. I would never trade this for a chance at my old life.” John has tried this before. He was never really sure if I was OK with being a hunter and he offered me many outs but I never took them. The boys never knew about our late night powwows and we both felt that it should stay that way._

_“You, Dean and Sammy are my life. You are my family and that is all that matter to me. You know that.” I said to him to, once again, reinforce how I felt about my guys_

_“Have I ever told you that we decided to try for a little girl, Mary and I? She always wanted a girl, don’t get me wrong she loved Dean and Sam but she always wanted a little girl to spoil.” Dad said with a sad smile on his face_

_“You have grown into such an amazing woman, Kat. I know I don’t tell you enough but I am so proud of what you have turned into.” Dad said, taking a swig of his beer and was quiet for a while. I leaned into him and quietly nursed the beer in my hand. We were both supporting each other tonight. I could only imagine what seeing me lying in the hospital did to him._

_“You know Dean isn't your brother, right?” Dad asked looking over to me._

_I nodded my head sad at the reminder that even though we were close we were not a real family._

_“No Kat, I didn't mean it like that… You will always be my daughter and Sam’s sister but Dean… he was never your brother.” I looked at John trying to figure out what the hell he was trying to say. I knew I would never truly be a Winchester but that was OK with me. When I figured out what he was trying to tell me my eyes went wide._

_“I am not an idiot or blind Kit; I see how you two feel about each other. God knows I tried to push it back when you two were younger. I blamed it on hormones but then I started watching you guys. You guys grew up with each other and have tried so hard to live by my rules. I won’t say I am not concerned, but only because I could never stand to see one of you hurt. A hunter’s life isn't kind on relationships, I know this first hand.” He explained. I chose to ignore the last part because I didn't want to bring that subject up yet._

_“Both you and Dean have sacrificed a normal life to be hunters. It would be cruel of me to ask you to sacrifice love, just to make me comfortable. You guys have stood by my rules for so long and I won’t stand in the way anymore.” When he finished giving us permission he looked at me and laughed. I guess my shock was more evident than I thought. I smiled widely and gave him a big bear hug, wincing slightly at my sore shoulder._

_“I only have two conditions! You guys don’t get all mushy around me and you guys need to concentrate while hunting. I can’t have you guys preoccupied and then one of you slips up and get hurt. I can’t go through that again and I know Dean can’t either.”_

_“Thank you Daddy.” I said and gave him a huge kiss on his cheek. He always had a big smile when I called him that. I was never pressured to call him anything other than John but after a year living with them it just felt natural. I sometimes still called him John but more often than not he was simply Dad._

_We came to an unspoken agreement that the conversation was over and it was time to go back to our beds. When I started to get into the bed Dean startled awake. He saw Dad standing over the bed and started to think of an excuse for why we were sharing a bed, “Dad! I was just…”_

_“Go back to bed, Dean.” John shrugged and got into his bed._

_Dean looked back and forth between John and I confusedly. I pushed him back into a laying position, “Yeah Dean, go back to bed.”_

_I then laid my head on his chest and wrapped my arm and leg over him and absorbed the warm coming from him. Life all of a sudden was looking up and I was genuinely happy._

_I felt Dean tense under such obvious affection but when he realize that Dad wasn't going to say anything or blow up I felt him relax, “What the hell…” shortly after I listened to his breathing slow and I knew he was sleeping. I looked at his face and knew we would both be going to sleep with smiles on, well a smirk on Dean’s end.  
\----------------------------_

Sam, I think, was even more in shock by the end. I mean, if it hadn't of happened to me I wouldn’t believe it either. Dad gave us approval to begin a relationship, something he had always forbidden. It was a huge deal. 

“What happened to you in Salem? Are you sure you OK?” 

“We were trying to destroy a coven of witches and underestimated their strength and size. They did some curse on me and I came down with this witchy flu/cold thing. I am getting better, really. Dean wasn't exaggerating when he was talking about how bad I was. He even took me to a hospital and the doctors had no clue how to help me. I couldn't eat for like a week; I was a skeleton. I felt like my insides were on fire, like I had this energy trying to destroy from the inside out. I am still weak and not much good to Dean.” 

Dean burst through the door with the laundry bags and fast food. “What’s up, Bitches? I did the laundry and got some food. 

“I was just getting done with telling Sammy the story of how we got together.” I explained. 

“I hope you didn't make up me seem too chick flicky, Sweetheart.” Dean said wrapping his arm around my shoulders. 

“Na, she just told me that you were bawling like a baby when she told you she loved you.” Sam said smiling. 

“Kat! I was not bawling like a baby, I was a composed man!” 

I just laughed, patted his should and told him yes he was. We all sat down and started to eat. After our late lunch/dinner Sam started to pack up his laptop, books and bag of clothes. Dean and I just stared at him bustling around. 

“Hey Sammy, what are you doing?” Dean asked concerned “Well since we are no closer to finding what killed Je-what started the fire I figured it must have left the area. If Dad was hunting the thing then maybe we would have better luck hunting Dad down.” Sam explained, faltering on Jess’ name. 

“I think that is a great idea. Let’s head to Blackwater Ridge!” I said enthusiastically. Dean and I packed quickly and then we were on the road ready to find our dad. **I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! Just a little bit of back ground for Dean and Kat's relationship. Love Kat and John's dynamic!**


	3. Wendigo part 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kat, Dean and Sam are on their way to Blackwater Ridge, CO to find the coordinates that their dad had left for them. Hoping to find their dad there but will they find him or something else?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, I know it has been awhile but just started school again after a little break away so still getting used to delegating my time! I am hoping to post a new chapter at least once a month given how long the chapters have been. Please, please, please leave some Kudos, add to bookmarks or leave some comments. I would love to hear from you guys!

Wendigo  
\--------------------------------------

We were finally in Colorado on our way to Blackwater Ridge to find Dad. It was now mid-November but Dean still insisted on driving with the windows down. ‘It’s more hardcore’ is he excuse. I was staring at the trees whizzing by and felt a shiver run down my back. It wasn’t a normal chill shiver, it felt like an ominous warning. I don’t know why but I felt like something dark and sinister was coming towards us sometime soon. I also had the feeling that we wouldn’t be finding Dad for a while. With all those feelings swirling in me and the fall air coming in the car I had to pull Dean’s jacket around me tighter and rolled my window up. Dean can deal with it.

Dean looked over at me, grabbed my arm and pulled me to him. “Are you ok?” He asked concerned.

I shook my head and let out a long sigh, “I don’t know, Dean. I just feel like something dark is waiting up ahead for us.”

“You mean like at Blackwater?”

“No, not literally up ahead, just in the future. I’m worried.”

“Hey. I won’t let anything happen to you. I promise.” Dean said looking at me, intensity was burning in his and I knew he would do anything to keep me safe.  
I nodded silently and leaned my head onto his shoulders. We drove a few more miles in silence and then Sam sat straight up gasping for air and looking around like he was lost. Dean and I shared a look and then glanced at him through the rear view mirror. I knew Dean wouldn’t ask if he was OK, in fear of a chick flick moment, so that left it up to me.

“Sammy, you OK back there?” trying to make it seem like I didn’t witness him freak out again.

Sam told us he was fine but was pinching the bridge of his nose, like he was trying to get rid of a head ache. He shook his head and let out a long deep sigh. Every night Sam had been waking up from nightmares. We try to act like it doesn’t happen but I know Dean is worried about him.

“Still having nightmares?” Dean asked, looking at him instead of the road. Sam just nodded his response.

“Hey, do you wanna drive for a while?” Dean offered, randomly.

We both whipped our heads at him and just stared. 

“What?”

“Dean, you’re whole life you have never once asked me that.” Sam said, in shock.

“Just thought you might want to, never mind.” Dean huffed. 

‘God forbid Dean was acting like a caring brother’ I said internally and just smiled at Dean and put my hand on his thigh.

“You know we are just worried about you. You haven’t been getting much sleep.” I said to Sam, turning myself around to face him.

“I get it, and thank you, but I am really fine.” Sam said in a tone telling me the discussion was over. 

I let out a sigh and turned back around. Dean gave me a sad sort of smile and shrugged his shoulders.

Sam leaned forward, between Dean and I, grabbed the map from my lap and asked where we were.

“We are just outside of Grand Junctions.” I told him and pointed to the area on the map. Sam then looked at the big circled X, Dean had drawn along with the mystery coordinates; Blackwater Ridge wasn’t too far away. 

I was unusually nervous about this town, I had no clue what we were going to encounter. Would we find Dad? Would the empty pit and nauseous feeling go away once we get into town?

I looked to Sam and saw him just staring at the map, “Sammy, you ok?”

He shook his head, like he was clearing his thoughts, “Maybe we shouldn’t have left so soon.”

Dean glances at me and then back at Sam, “Sam, we dug around there for a week. We didn’t find anything; you know that if we want to find what killed Jess,”

“We need to find Dad, yes I know.” Sam interrupted.

“This all can’t be a coincidence, Dad disappearing and Jess being killed the same way as,” I shut up after seeing the look Dean was giving me, “but yeah, this all has to be connected somehow. I am sure once we meet up with Dad he will be able to tell us how.” Dean and I had actually been talking about everything a lot while Sam was sleeping or off getting food. We had many theories and they all came with explanations we did not like.

Sam then went back to the map and started looking at the coordinates Dad had left for us, “This doesn’t make any sense.” He mumbled.

I turned to him and asked him what didn’t make sense. It was then that he told us that if the coordinates were right that dad wanted us to go to the middle of the woods. This didn’t make any sense to any of us but Dean just kept on driving. The only thing he really cared about right now was finding Dad and getting answers.

Soon we pulled into the little mountain town called Blackwater Ridge. I really hated small mountain towns. 

\---------------------------------------------------

**Ranger Station, Lost Creek National Park**

I was currently leaning over a 3D map of the National Forest with Sam while Dean was acting like a little kid looking at pictures of prize winning hunts. Sam pointed where Blackwater Ridge was and once again how none of this makes any sense. 

I sighed and just shrugged my shoulders, “We know, Sam, it is pretty remote. But there has to be a reason why Dad would leave us those coordinates.  
Sam was trying to figure out the easiest way to get out there but it was proving to be a challenge. I realized that on a good day we would be fine to just wing it but with me still being weak, I needed to take it easy. “It’s cut off by these canyons. There are a lot of abandoned mines, real tough terrain and dense forests. It would take a day or two to get out there in good health, Kat.” Sam sighed. 

We both knew that I while I was better I was not up to the task.

“I’m fine, Sammy. I promise if it gets too much I won’t push it.” 

Dean called behind us to look at an old photo of a huge ass bear. We humored him but Sam made sure we knew about how there would be tons of grizzlies, Dean seemed excited at that fact.

“You lot aren’t planning on going out near Blackwater Ridge by any chance?” A deep voice asked behind us. We jumped and turned around to see one of the local rangers, he looked like he had spent his whole life out doors and I could tell he didn’t take shit from anyone.

“Oh no, sir, we’re environmental study majors from UC Boulder, just working on a paper,” Sam told him, coming up with our cover story. The ranger would have probably believed him if it wasn’t for Dean idiotically piping in with “Recycle Man!”

The ranger called us out on our bullshit and then said he knew that we were friends with Hayley.

Seeing a possible way in I spoke up, “Yes, yes we are, Ranger… Wilkinson.” I said leaning forward to catch his last name.

The Ranger looked at us patiently, I am sure this Hayley girl has been driving him crazy or he is used to rookie hikers thinking they can take on more than they are ready to.

“Well I will tell you exactly what I told her. Her brother filled a back country permit saying that he wouldn’t be back from Blackwater until the 24th, so it isn’t really a missing person now is it?” He said, taking a sip of his coffee. We just nodded and took in the new information.

“You tell that girl to stop worrying and I am sure her brother is just fine.”

“We will,” Dean broke in, shook his head and gave a little chuckle, “Well that Hayley girl’s quite a pistol, huh?”

“That’s putting it mildly,” the Ranger responded.

“Actually, you know what would help is if we could show her a copy of that permit. You know, so she could see her brothers return date for herself.” Dean said, with his innocent “trust me” eyes.

A few minutes later we were walking out with Haley’s address and a copy of her brother’s back woods permit.

“Why are we even worrying about talking to this girl?” Sam complained walking towards the car, “I mean, we have the coordinates, they point to Backwater. What are we waiting for? Let’s go find Dad!”

I leaned back against the Impala and looked over at Sam; he seemed impatient and flustered which is so unlike him. 

Dean got to the driver side and looked back at us over the top, “I don’t know, maybe we should know what we are walking into before we actually walk into it?” Dean said shrugging, looking at him. We all paused.

“What?” Sam asked, moodily.

“Since when are you all shoot first ask questions later.” Dean asked.

“Since now.” Sam said and got in the car, slamming the door.

Dean looked at me with raised eyebrows and followed suit. 

I let out a sigh and grimaced realizing that I now had two guns-blazing guys on my hands and I couldn’t see this going well for anyone.

**\---------------------------------------------------  
Collin’s House**

We walked up the pathway and knocked on the Collin’s door. We saw a young girl, short and pretty, she had to be at most 21 years old. She cocked her eyebrows at us, not saying a word. The door was only opened as far as it could go with the chain still in place.

“Hi, you must be Haley Collins.” I said, pushing forward with my hand out. Nothing… okay than, “My name is Kat and this is Sam and Dean. We are with the Park Service. Ranger Wilkinson sent us over. He wants us to go over some questions about your brother Tommy.” I explained, trying to sound warm and trusting.  
Haley nodded slowly and asked to see some I.D, so I pulled out my fake badge with the name “Kat Holtz” and handed it over, the boys did the same. After a little while of intense scrutiny she handed them back and unchained the door. Haley invited us in and complimented Dean’s car. Well, flirted about his car. Sam looked at me amused and I could only roll my eyes. All part of the game we have.

“So if Tommy isn’t due back for a while, how do you know something’s wrong?” Sam asked.

I took a look around the house. House was clean and simply furnished. There was a teenage boy sitting on the kitchen table playing with his computer.

“He checks in every day on his cell. He emails, sends photos and stupid little videos. We haven’t gotten anything in over three days.” She explained.

“Maybe he doesn’t have any cell reception. It is really isolated out there.” I tried to reason with her.

“No, He’s got a satellite phone, too.” Haley responded and turned back to go to the kitchen.

“Is it me or are they way too calm?” I whispered to Sam and Dean, they both nodded in agreement.

“Could it be he’s just having fun and forgot?” Dean asked

“He wouldn’t do that,” the teenager finally piped in, Dean gave him the ‘oh-really’ look and shut him up.

“Our parents are gone; it’s just my two brothers and I. We all keep pretty close tabs on each other.” Haley explained walking out of the kitchen with some water.

“Can I see the pictures he sent you?” Sam asked.

Haley was hesitant but nodded and opened up her laptop. She turned it around so that Sam could see.  
Dean and I looked at each other and listened to what was being said. We used to do this all the time with videos. Sam would look for everything and anything while Dean and I would listen for anything that didn’t belong. We heard Tommy talk about turning in for the night and telling them he was safe. I couldn’t hear anything out of the ordinary what so ever.

Sam played it one more time and we saw something click in his eye. Sam looked up at us and nodded discreetly.

“We will find your brother, Haley.” Dean told Haley, “We are going to head up to Blackwater Ridge first thing tomorrow.”

“Then maybe I’ll see you there,” Haley countered walking past Dean and I to stand next to her brother. I noticed she was agitated, which is never a good thing. “I can’t stand around anymore, so I hired a guy. I’m heading out tomorrow morning and I am going to find him myself.

“Haley, I know how you feel but this isn’t a situation we think you should put yourself in. Have you ever been deep forest camping? It isn’t safe and we, as Park Rangers, can’t promote you going out there tomorrow.” I tried to reason with her. 

She argued that she would be fine and that was the reason she hired a professional hunter. Dean and I both chuckled knowing that her type of hunter wasn’t what was needed.

“Hey do you mind forwarding these to me?” Sam asked pointing to the computer, yeah he totally saw something.

Once he gave Haley his email address we decided to leave, once again confirming that we would find her brother. I looked at the guys and I could tell they were both getting hungry. When Dean doesn’t eat he gets not only hungry but hangry and that is something I try to keep from happening.

“What do you boys say we stop all this hunting shit for right now and go get some food and play some pool? Maybe make a little extra cash?” I said wrapping my arms around both brothers.

They both laughed and agreed.  
 **\---------------------------------------------------  
Some local bar**

I looked at the balls in play and smirked. See Dean and I have our roles perfected, me being the dumb date learning how to play and Dean being the frustrate boyfriend that gives up too early. I then pout a little and beg some local to play with me, I even suggest the idea of betting, lose a couple times to get the stakes higher and then wham bam thank you ma’am I get hot.

I lean down to take my shot; I only need two more balls to win a hundred bucks! I slighting jerk my stick and hit the cue ball sinking the first and then easily sink the eight ball. I stand up and look at my opponent and just shrugged, he did not look happy but slammed the money owed onto the green felt covered table. I thanked him and split from his group and turned towards the table that my guys were sitting at.

I met Dean’s green eyes and smiled, waving the wad of bills I just won us. He smirked back and tipped his beer bottle at me then took a swig. Sammy was too busy looking for something in his bag to notice that I was on my way over. Moments like these were my favorite. Before Sammy had left for college, it was these stolen moments of normalcy that I knew I had to cherish. Even if we were a group of teens traveling from town to town hustling locals out of their money while our dad was hunting monsters that go bump in the night; it was as close to a normal Saturday night out we were ever going to get.

I pull a stool next to Dean and slip my hand on his thigh as he warps his arm around my shoulders pulling me closer. I grab a full beer that I assume is mine and take a long sip, enjoying the feeling of the amber liquid running through me.

Sam looked at us, “So Blackwater Ridge doesn’t get a lot of traffic, mostly local camper. But this past April, two hikers went missing there. They were never found.” Sam explained pulling out folders with notes and newspaper clippings of incidents.

I nodded and took another swig of my beer, “Any other missing hikers before that?” I asked knowing I wasn’t going to like the answer.

“Yeah, in 1982 eight different people all vanished in the same year. Authorities said it was a grizzly attack. And again in 1959, and again before that in 1936.” Sam explained, handing Dean the newspaper clippings to look at.

Sam pulled out his laptop and started pulling up the Tommy’s video that Haley had sent him, “Every 23 years, just like clockwork. Watch this, I downloaded Tommy’s video and check it out!”

Sam had it slowed down to three frames where we saw a shadow move across the screen. Dean asked Sam to play it again. 

“That’s in three frames; that’s a fraction of a second. Whatever that thing is it can move.” I said quietly. 

I heard Sam yell in protest so I looked over, Sam was cradling his arm and Dean was smirking, “I told you something was going on!”

“Yeah,” Sam agreed, “I got one more thing.”

“What?” I asked leaning closer to the table.

“In ’59, one camper survived the supposed grizzly attack. He was just a kid, barely crawled out alive.” Sam told us, his eyes showed his excitement at having an actual witness. They always made the investigation much easier.

Dean leaned forward, “Is there a name?”

**\---------------------------------------------------**

**Shaw Apartment**

Mr. Shaw let us into his apartment without any questions, surprisingly. He brought us into a dark living room that reeked of stale cigarette smoke, only lit by the glow of his old TV. I hated seeing survivors living places like this because it reminded me that while they may have gotten away, they certainly never recovered and led a normal life again.

“Look, Ranger, I don’t know why you are asking me all this. It’s public record, I was just a kid, my parents got mauled by a-” he hesitated at the last word.

“Grizzly?” Sam interrupted, “That’s what attacked them?”

Shaw looked at us warily. Took a puff from his cigarette, exhaled and nodded slowly. He was looking down but I could tell his eyes had a haunted look to them.

“The other people that went missing that year, those were bear attacks too?” Dean asked.

Shaw just kept looking down at the floor, not saying anything. His cigarettes just hung limp in between his lips, like if it fell he would fall apart.

“What about all the people that went missing this year? Same thing?” Dean pressed further.

This got Shaw to at least look at him. I stepped in front of Dean and closer to the older man, “If we knew what we were dealing with, we might be able to stop it.” I told him softly, hoping to get more information out of him this was.

He looked to me with fear in his eyes, “I seriously doubt that,” he moved to his arm chair, “Anyways, I don’t see what difference it would make,” He looked at all three of us as if trying to decide if he could trust us with the truth. “You wouldn’t believe me. Nobody ever did.” He sighed shakily.

Sam moved to crouch in front of Mr. Shaw, “Mr. Shaw, what did you see?” Sam asked, giving him the puppy dog eyes that oozed sincerity. This was Sam’s specialty; I had seen so many people give in to the look.

“Nothing, it moved too fast to see. It hid too, I heard it though. Sounded like a roar, like… no man or animal I had ever heard.” Mr. Shaw told us finally. He was devoid of emotion, like he was scared out of feeling.

“It came at night?” Sam asked, Shaw just nodded.

“It got in your tent?”

“It got in our cabin.” Shaw corrected, looking at both Dean and I. “I was sleeping in front of the fireplace when it came in. It didn’t smash a window or break through the door. It unlocked it. Do you know of a bear that could do something like that?” He asked looking back at Sammy, “I didn’t wake up until I heard my parents screaming.”

“It killed them?” I asked quietly.

“Dragged them off into the night,” Shaw corrected, “Why it left me alive? I’ve been asking myself that ever since.” Shaw said sadly. It was a good question though, why would a monster that clearly is hungry for humans leave such an easy prey alive?

Shaw grabbed the collar of his shirt, “It did leave me with this, though.” He pulled his shirt back to reveal three long scars running across his shoulder and collar bone. Claw marks. Dean and Sam tensed up knowing now that this wasn’t going to be a usual hunt.

“There is something in those woods. It was some sort of demon.” Shaw said gravely.

He was partly right; there was something out there, just not a demon.

We left Mr. Shaw’s place shortly after and headed back to our motel.

“Spirits don’t have to unlock doors. If they want the can just walk through walls,” I was saying to Dean and Sam, pacing around our hotel room. “Demons would probably just float through the wall until it found someone to possess and it certainly isn’t a possession.”

Dean stood up from the bed and went behind me and wrapped his arms around me, prevent me from further pacing.

“So it’s probably something else, something corporeal.” Sam suggested.

Dean looked at his brother with a smirk, “Corporeal? Excuse me professor.” All three of us smiled.

“Shut up!” Sam shouted and threw a pillow at him, which Dean ducked and used me as a shield. “Shit! Sorry Kat. So what do you guys think this is?”

Dean shrugged, “The claws, the speed it moves at? It could be a skinwalker, maybe a black dog. Whatever it is we’re talking about, we are talking about a creature… and it’s corporeal,” I couldn’t help but laugh at Dean using such a smart Sam word, he also had such a satisfied look on his face, “Which means we can kill it.” Dean stalked off to his car leaving us to follow him.

We had parked Baby behind our motel room so we wouldn’t have to worry about people seeing us with all our hunting gear. Dean was already ahead of us, head in the trunk as Sam and I strolled up talking about the list of possibly creatures this thing could be.

The weapon box was propped up with the sawed-off shotgun and Dean was stuffing the duffel bag with guns. He was packing more guns than just the three of us needed. I leaned around him and gave him a pointed look.

“We are not letting Haley go out into the woods.” I said, no way were we letting a civilian go hunting with us. I handed him my favorite gun and he put it in the bag with all the other guns.

“Oh, yeah?” He responded, “What are we exactly going to tell her? That she can’t go into the woods because of a big scary monster?”

I bit my lip, knowing that she would think we were crazy, call the rangers or something and then go out to the woods anyway. I huffed angrily knowing he was right.

“Well, yeah.” Sam chimed in, Dean and I both looked at each other with surprise and worry on our faces.  
Dean straightened up, cleared his face of emotion and turned to look at his brother, “Her brother is missing, Sam. She is not just going to sit this one out.” Dean argued. “If we go with her, we can protect her and keep our eyes peeled for our fuzzy, fast friend.” He stated, grabbing the duffel bag and stepped from the back of the car. I pulled the shotgun that was holding up the trunk and heard it slam shut.

“Finding Dad’s not enough? Now we have to babysit too!” Sam shouted frustrated as Dean just kept staring at his brother.

“What?!” Sam shouted

“Nothing.” Dean said shrugging; he tossed the duffel bag at him and turned to get in the car.

Sam looked at me, I had nothing for him. We all knew what we had to do.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1/9/15 Sorry guys I edited this chapter and took the history part out. Wasn't feeling it and I just wanted everything to flow. Sorry its been such a long time but I have had some health issues and now just when i am feeling better I fractured my elbow at work. Slipped on an icy patch in the parking lot... not too thrilled. Hopefully I can get back to finishing up Wendigo, definitely not my favorite episode in season one.


	4. Wendigo part 2

Early Next Morning  
National Park

We got up early and headed out to where Haley, her brother and this specialist would be meeting. Dean wasn’t too happy about being up at this ‘ungodly’ hour but thems the breaks when you are hunting.

It was a beautiful day, not a cloud in the sky and was not too warm. A great fall day. When we were driving up to the location I couldn’t help but scan the mountain peak and I asked myself what would we be facing up there? I was more nervous about this hunt, just because, while I was definitely stronger, if the terrain got too rough I wasn’t sure if I would be able to keep up. Woods weren’t my forte in the first place anyway, too many bugs and unknowns for my taste.

We pulled into the hiking trail lot right behind Haley, Ben and I guess the specialist, who was loading his rifle. Haley didn’t look too thrilled to see us, glaring at us with her hands on her hips. I was the first to move from the car, taking a deep breath of the pine forest air, I pulled my jacket on and followed Dean as he went to the trunk to get our duffel bag.

I reached for the bag but Dean pulled it from my grasp and threw it to Sam, “I told you, you were going to go light today. No need to over exert your sexy self before we actually see this monster.” Dean told me and gave me a quick kiss.

I nodded my head, knowing he was right and that we had this conversation last night before him and I went to bed.

“Hey, you guys got room for three more?” Dean asked Haley moving towards her.

“Wait, you want to come with us?” Haley asked, relieved that we weren’t going to stop her and her group from going out.

“Who are these guys?” The man behind Haley asked, nodding his head over to us.

“Apparently all the park service could round up for the search and rescue.” Haley explained. 

I tuned out after this leaving Dean to deal with the banter between Haley, the specialist and himself. I leaned against the car and pulled my sunglasses on and bent over to pull my hair into a bun. I looked toward the group and saw the man giving me a once over and I couldn’t help but smirk at him and just shook my head. ‘Yeah, I am hot shit.’ I couldn’t help myself but it felt good to get some attention from another guy.

He turned back to Dean, “You guys are hunters?”

“That’s right.” Dean said simply, looking back at me.

“And you’re hiking out in biker boots and jeans?” Haley asked unbelievingly. 

I had to control my chuckle and started walking over. I had enough common sense to put on biking boots; I didn’t need any blisters holding me up even more. I had also tried to at least look a little more of the part. Dean never really cared to play along unless he was pretending to be an agent or whatever that had an actual outfit to fit the part. I noticed Dean looking down at Haley’s legs and couldn’t help but shove his shoulder as I walked past him, hard.

I heard him tell her that he didn’t do shorts as I walked past him and up to Sam.

“You think this is funny? It’s dangerous back country out there. Her brother might be hurt!” The man said, looking at all of us with a sense of frustration and annoyance.

I could tell Dean was getting angry so I stepped in, “Believe me, we know how dangerous is can be. We just want to help them find their brother. That’s all.” I told the man hoping I would be able to placate him a little.

Dean waited for a response, when he didn’t get one he turned around and started towards the forest.

We had learned the specialists name was Roy. Well Roy had taken the lead and we all got into a comfortable routine. Dean was following Roy, talk about a pissing contest, but he was constantly scanning the woods surrounding us. Haley and her brother Ben were behind them with me and Sam in the rear. Sam seemed to want to make sure I was OK. Hello I am older than you Sammy.

“So Roy, you said you do a little hunting?” I heard Dean start up ahead.

“Yeah, more than a little.” Roy said shortly.

“Uh-huh. What kind of furry little creatures do you hunt?” Dean asked, itching for a fight. He really never knew when to quit. 

Roy told him that he hunted mostly buck and some bear. Dean stepped around and in front of him then asked if Bambi or Yogi ever hunted him back and I started picking up my pace in case I needed to stop anything. Sam followed hot on my tail.

Roy lunged at Dean, grabbing him by the back of his coat, “Whatcha doing Roy?” Dean asked cockily.

Roy let go of Dean just as I caught up to them. He grabbed a stick and jabbed it at the ground where Dean was just going to step. A steel trap snapped to life and broke the branch clean in two. 

“You should watch where you step, Ranger.” Roy said, stepping around and taking the lead once again.

Dean shrugged and looked back at me, “It’s a bear trap.” He explained. I gave him a look of ‘no shit’, I shook my head and smiled at him slightly. He is still cute no matter how stupid he can act.

Haley saw our exchange and looked at us with curiosity. Shit, we were supposed to be professionals, Rangers, just co-workers. We, well I, needed to make sure to play the part. Dean ignored her and headed on to catch Roy, anyone could tell that he was frustrated at being shown up.

Haley rushed up to catch him while the rest of us followed at a usual pace. She grabbed his arm and spun him around to face her, “Who the hell are you guys?” I stopped next to Dean but he gave me the nod to keep walking. Sam pulled me on and gave me a shrug and we kept walking.

“Look, Sam and I are brothers,” I heard Dean start to explain. I could only hope he wouldn’t fuck everything up and explain too much. I couldn’t help but look back and saw Haley looking like she was digesting the story. I saw Dean smile, then he pulled out a bag of half eaten M&M’s and laughed something out in reply.

Shortly after we came to a clearing; I couldn’t help but notice all the bushes where something could jump out and attack us. I noticed that both Sam and Dean were on full alert also. 

Roy stopped and told us that we were now at Blackwater Ridge.

“What coordinates are we at?” I asked him, looking around expecting something to happen. Roy pulled out his GPS and told us the exact coordinates that Dad left for us in his journal.

Dean pulled Sam and I aside and asked if we heard anything. It was dead silent.

“Not even crickets.” Sam answered. Once you0 noticed the silence it was deafening, too eerie to be a coincidence. 

Roy told us he was going to take a look around. Sam voiced his concern about being in the woods alone but he laughed us off and pushed past him and walked into the forest. Ass.

“OK, everybody stays together. Let’s go.” Dean instructed and followed Roy.

We moved further into the woods, we slowed down in a clearing surrounded by large boulders and few trees. Sammy and I were standing together surveying the area; Ben was near us leaning on a tree until he noticed something. He walked over to another tree and moved some branches, he had found something. Sam and I walked over to him and saw what he had found. Scarred onto the tree was a stick figure.

“That’s a hell of a find, Ben. Those are Anasazi symbols.” Sam said, fingering the carvings with interest. Ben asked what that meant.

“Ancient Indians, Ben.” I answered, “A whole civilization that just vanished completely. No one knows why or what happened.” I noticed Sam frowning and looking at the figure intently.

“What is it, Sammy?” I asked, almost scared to hear his response. Sam was always the go to guy for facts about monster lore or anything else.

“I’ve seen this before, somewhere.” He responded, deep in thought. I was confused, I had seen so many symbols and pictographs in this job that sometimes they all blend together.

We all looked up when we heard Roy’s voice calling Haley to his location. She took off in the direction his voice was coming from. We ran off quickly in order to follow her and keep her safe. When we caught up to them we saw that we were in a campground. It was torn to shreds.

“Oh my God,” Haley cried, taking in the camp site and all the damage. We all started walking around looking for any clues as to what could have done this. I paused in front of a tent covered in blood. I looked around the site once more. There were camp chairs thrown around, tents covered in blood, other camping supplies littered about. I looked to Dean and he was surveying the blood and started walking around the camp site, looking for more clues.

Roy commented saying it looked like a grizzly but I knew better. Sam had on his thinking face, confirming that it wasn’t a grizzly.

Hayley started shouting her brother’s name. I ran over to her and covered her mouth silencing her as quickly as I could. We definitely didn’t want whatever was out there to know we were here. I told her to be quiet and that we didn’t want to let whatever it was that we were here.

I looked up at the trees and the sky and realized that it was going to be night fall. Soon we would be sitting ducks. I was getting increasingly frustrated because we still didn’t have a clue what this monster was and this was a bad time for me to not be at my peak hunting condition.

“Sam!” Dean called out and Sam went over to him. I looked at Hayley and she nodded at me to go over. I saw Sam crouch down to look at whatever Dean had found.

“The bodies were dragged from the camp site. But here, the tracks just vanish, that’s just weird.” I heard Dean say.

The brothers stood up and stepped toward me. Dean looked at me, sighed and started heading back towards the others, “I’ll tell you what though, that’s no skinwalker or black dog.” He said seriously. Even he was stumped and that was never a good thing.

When we had gotten back to the camp we saw everyone else trying to make sense of the damage. Hayley was holding a cell phone that was in pieces and covered in blood. I could see that she was struggling to hold it together for her little brother. I walked over to her and gave her a reassuring hug, “Hey, you never know, he could still be alive. We all just have to hope and pray for the best. We will find him.” I tried to make her believe what I was saying but I could see it in her eyes that she had already practically given up hope.

“HELP! PLEASE SOMEBODY HELP ME!” We heard someone calling from the woods. I jumped at the sound and turned towards the forest, trying to pin point the exact position the voice was coming from but I couldn’t lock it down. Roy pulled out his gun and ran into the wood in the vague direction of the screams. We all followed right behind. The woods and the underbrush made it hard to catch up with Roy but we soon stopped at a clearing Roy still was pointing his rifle every which way around us. Sam was surprisingly out in front of Roy and both brothers were surveying the clearing.

“It seemed like it was coming from around here, didn’t it?” Hayley asked. Pure silence filled the clearing.

Sam waited a few seconds to see if anything could be heard and then something seemed to click in his head, “Everybody back to camp, now.” He started jogging back to where we had just been not five minutes before. We were too late though, all our belongings were gone. I was the last to camp, hunched over trying to catch my breath; all this hiking and running was really starting to wear me down. Dean turned to me with a forbidding look on his face and walked over to me. He pulled me up and held me close giving me the once over.

“Our packs!” Hayley shouted.

Roy crouched near to the ground where he had left his pack, “So much for my GPS and satellite phone.” He grumbled.

“What the hell is going on?” Hayley asked looking to us.

“It’s smart. It wants to cut us off so we can’t call for help.” I said, knowing that this was what it was doing. I let out a shiver, partially because of the cold from the looming nightfall and also from the fact that this thing was smart, very smart.

“You mean someone; some nut job out there has stolen all of our gear?” Roy asked sounding like he didn’t believe us, trying to make us sound crazy.

Sam walked over to Dean and I, “I need to speak with you two… in private.” He told us quietly and stalked off away from the others.

“Good, Let me see Dad’s journal.” He said holding out his hand in my direction. I unzipped my jacket and pulled out the torn and battered journal and handed it to him. He flipped it open and quickly scanned the pages that were filled with Dad’s handwriting and drawn descriptions of various monsters that he has come upon.

Sam stopped on at a page and turned it around so that Dean and I could see what this thing was. Sam pointed out a page that had a stick-man figure and some Native American like signs on it.

“Oh, come on. Wendigos are in the Minnesota woods or northern Michigan. I’ve never even heard of one this far west.” Dean said once he read what Sam had shown us.

“Think about it guys! The claws, the lightning fast speed, the way it can mimic a human’s voice?” Sam pointed out, Dean looked up to me and I shrugged, it all added up.

I let out a frustrated sigh, “God Damn it.”

“Well then this is useless.” Dean said holding up his gun and putting it away. 

Sammy handed my back the journal and once it was safely stored in my jacket I looked at Dean, “We need to get these people to safety.” I told him pointedly, “We can come back once they are safe in town.”

Sam and Dean agreed and we headed back to camp. Sam cleared his throat and told everyone that we needed to leave now. They didn’t like hearing that and put up a fight. Roy told Sam that he could handle it and not to worry.

“It’s not me I am worried about. If you shoot this thing you’re just going to make it mad. We have to leave. Now.”

“One you are talking nonsense and two you’re in no position to give anybody orders, kid.” Roy responded stepping up to Sam.

Dean saw this and barked for Roy to relax, I couldn’t help but smile at how Dean was still so protective over his Sammy.

“We never should have let you come out in the first place, all right? I am trying to protect you.” Sam said pissed off. I looked out into the woods and wondered if it was even too late to get them back into town. Night was at our front door step and we were at least an hour away from town. We were right where the wendigo probably wants us.

Roy again stepped up to Sam, “You protect me? I was hunting these woods when your mommy was still kissing you good night.” Roy said arrogantly.

I held Dean back from doing something stupid like he usually does when Mary was mentioned.

“Yeah? It’s a damn near perfect hunter. It’s smarter than you, and it’s gonna hunt you down and eat you alive unless we get your stupid sorry ass out of here.” Sam said, his mouth twitching in amusement at Roy’s arrogance. And this is why I held Dean back, Sammy was a big boy and could hold his own.

Roy laughed in his face and told Sam he was crazy.

“Oh yeah? You ever hunt a wen-” Sam shouted and almost spilled the beans but Dean rushed in and pulled him away. 

Dean gave him a shove and poked his chest telling him to chill.

Hayley yelled to Roy and I yelled for everyone to stop saying that we can’t have fighting among us. Not when we have something hunting us out there.

“Look, Tommy might still be alive and I’m not leaving here without him.” I saw her look of determination. I just let out a sigh.

“It’s getting late.” I remarked pointedly looking at Dean who understood what I was trying to say.

“This thing is a good hunter in the day but an unbelievable hunter at night. We’ll never beat it, not in the dark.” Dean told everyone.

“We will need to settle in and protect ourselves.” Sam cut in.

Hayley asked how and I pulled out Dad’s journal and turned to Dean. He nodded and then we walked off to the edge of the camp.

Dean made a game plan, with me painting Anasazi symbols around the campsite’s perimeter with Sam and he getting some dry sticks for a fire when night falls.  
\--------------------------------------

About an hour later, Dean finally had gotten the fire stoked enough that it gave off enough heat.

Sam and I had just about finished all the symbols for protection, Hayley asked what they were.

“Anasazi symbols, it’s for protection. The wendigo can’t cross them.” I explained. Roy let out a little chuckle.

“Nobody likes a skeptic, Roy.” Dean chided, walking up to me, putting his arm around my shoulder.

We saw Sam sitting on the edge of the campsite and excused ourselves and went to join him. I could tell something was off with him; he was like a lit fuse just waiting to go off. I knew that Dean sensed it too.

“So you wanna tells us what’s going on in that freaky head of yours?” Dean asked sitting down next to his brother.

Sam looked like he was trying to figure out what to say, “Guys, I’m-”

“No Sam, you’re not fine.” I said interrupting him. He couldn’t just continue lying to us and he knew it, “Sam, you are like a powder keg. That’s not like you.” I said softly but with urgency in my voice.

“Yeah man, I’m supposed to be the belligerent one remember?” Dean chimed in elbowing his brother. We all let out a laugh because it was the truth. Sam, Mr. Calm and Collected, Dean was Mr. Hot Head and I was somewhere in between the two.

When Sam finally spoke up it was in a quiet and defeated tone, one that I hated to hear coming from him, “Dads not here. That much we know for sure. I mean he would have left us a sign or a message, right?”

“Yeah, you’re probably right.” Dean said, “To tell you the truth, I don’t think that dad has ever been to Lost Creek.” They both looked at each other sharing a look of defeat and confusion. Why would dad send us here then?

Dean’s response only fueled Sam’s angst. He told us that we needed to get these people back into town and leave right away to find Dad. He asked us why we were even still here. I couldn’t take it anymore; I reached around Sam’s waist and pulled him closer. It really killed me to see my little brother this tormented.

Dean pulled the journal from out of my jacket and knelt done in front of Sam, “This is why, Sammy. This book, this is Dad’s most valuable possession. Everything he knows about every evil thing is in here, and he has passed it on to us.” 

We all looked at each other; we knew the significance of Dad leaving us his journal. He wanted us to keep hunting. Sam looked away, poking the ground with a stick he picked up

“He wants us to keep hunting.” I said in a flat voice.

Dean nodded, “Saving people, hunting things, the family business.”

When Sam looked up at me I finally noticed how red his eyes were and how exhausted he really looked. With everything he had been through I can’t believe that he is still as with it as us. He had gotten away from hunting for four years. It must be hard for him to have to readjust.

“Dad’s giving us a job to do, and I intend to do it.”

“Dean no, I gotta find Dad, I gotta find Jess’ killer. It’s the only thing I can think about.” Sam told us, almost pleading with us.

“We will find Dad, Sammy. I promise, you just have to prepare yourself. It’s not going to be an easy or quick journey.” I spoke up. I knew we would eventually find Dad and hopefully find what killed Jess’s and Mary’s killer. I knew both Dean and I were worried for our brother’s mental health.

Sam looked at both of us, “How do you guys do it? How does Dad?” his voice breaking, trying to remain strong.

Dean looked over his shoulder at Hayley and Ben, trying to keep warm by the fire, “Well for one, them.”

“I for one just want to help people. I figured with our family, being as screwed up as it is, there isn’t any going back with us. But these people, these people have a good chance at living normal lives if we save them. It makes things bearable for me.” I explained, Sam knew that it was true. Our family was way too far gone to be saved.

“I’ll tell you what else helps,” Dean said with a little smirk, “Killing as many sons of bitches as we possibly can.” Both Sam and I laughed at that.

Just at that point we heard a crack out in the darkness, followed by a man’s voice calling out for help. All three of us were up and on our feet, moving back towards the group and the fire. Dean pulled his gun out just as the voice called out for help again. Sam quickly trained his flashlight towards the forest, trying to spot the voice but nothing was spotted.

I saw Hayley and Ben starting to freak out, “He’s trying to draw us out.” I explained, trying to calm them down.

“Just stay cool and stay put!” Dean commanded.

Roy made some crack about the circle I set up when we heard the voice again, “Help! Help me!” followed by a ferocious growling.

“OK, that’s no grizzly.” Roy conceded, finally.

We heard the sounds of the monster running, circling around us but we still couldn’t see it.

Roy pointed his gun towards the forest and starts firing off shots. We heard the Wendigo whimper and Roy let out a hoot of celebration then run off to claim his prize.

“Roy, no! Roy!” Dean yelled and started to follow him. Dean stopped at the edge of the clearing, looked back at me, “Don’t move.” He told me and ran off. I saw Sam quickly on his heels.

Those bastards! They just left me here. “Dean! Sam!” No matter how pissed off I was at them I had orders to follow. No they weren’t John’s orders but I knew better than to disobey anything that Dean told me.

I heard Roy calling out to the guys, Dean calling out to Roy and then just silence.

 

I looked back to Hayley and Ben, they were shaking. Ben had tears in his eyes and Hayley was trying so hard to keep her own tears at bay. I walked over to them and enveloped them in a hug. I, once again, told them that everything would be ok, me silently praying that I wasn’t lying to them.  
\---------------------------

Once day broke we realized that Roy was not coming back.

Sam was sitting by a tree trunk reading Dad’s journal with a defeated look. 

“These things aren’t supposed to be real,” Hayley said, shaking her head in disbelief.

“I wish I could tell you differently.” Dean replied kneeling down next to her. I knew he was telling the truth. Dean hated destroying civilian’s way of life.

“How do we know it’s not out there watching us right now?” She asked looking at all three of us.

“We don’t.” I sighed.

Hayley asked how we knew about this kind of stuff, Dean just looked to me. I explained how this was our family’s business. She looked like she wanted to say more but then had second thoughts. 

Sam walked over to us, “Hey, so we have half a chance in the daylight. And I for one want to kill this evil son of a bitch.”

Dean stood up and looked to me and his brother, “Well, hell, you know I’m in.”

I nodded and saw Hayley and Ben nod in agreement. Sam showed them Dad’s page on the wendigo and went into a more in depth description of the monster.

The history of the wendigo is a grizzly one. They all start off as a man, usually a hunter, miner or a frontier man. During one harsh winter a guy finds himself starving and becomes a cannibal to survive. Many cultures believe that consuming human flesh gives the consumer magical powers, speed, strength and immorality. If the creature eats enough flesh it becomes less human and it is always hungry. 

“If that’s true, how can Tommy still be alive?” Hayley asked.

“You’re not going to like it.” Dean replied glancing at Sammy then back to Hayley

“More than anything a wendigo knows how to last long winters without food. It hibernates for years at a time, but when it’s awake it keeps its victims alive. It, uh, stores them so it can feed whenever it wants.” Sam explains, not liking the truth as much as Hayley and Ben do.

“If your brother is alive, it is keeping him somewhere dark, hidden and safe.” I tell them, “We gotta track it back there.”

“And then how do we stop it?” Hayley asked.

“Well guns are useless, so are knives,” Informed Dean, “So basically, we gotta torch the sucker.” Dean said almost gleefully and held up a can of lighter fluid, an empty beer bottle and a piece of a white cloth.  
\----------------------------------

Dean was leading the pack through the woods with his Molotov cocktail in his hands. Hayley was following him, Ben was trailing his sister then Sam and me trailing behind. I really hated hiking and was already getting a little tired. Dean seemed to know this was going to happen and told Sam to stay behind with me. We came to a clearing and I bent over resting my hands on my knees, trying to recover from the short hike we had just taken. I saw Sam looking up at the trees, some had deliberate claw markings.

“Dean!” Sam called out, getting everyone’s attention.

“What is it?” Dean asked walking over to his brother.

“You know, I was thinking, those claw marks are so clear and distinct. They are almost too easy to follow.” Sam said.

All of a sudden we heard a low growling in the woods. We all snapped our heads to the area the sound came from. The silent clearing was now filled with the sounds of rustling tree and bush branches. Hayley, startled, backed up into a tree trunk and felt saw blood drops falling onto her shoulder. She looked up at me, then up at where the blood was coming from. I saw her face twist in fear and she let out a fear filled scream and jumped towards me. Roy’s body hit the floor soon after in a sickening thump.

Dean hurried over to inspect the body, “His neck’s broken.”

The growling started again. Dean stood back up quickly and pulled us all together. He told us all to get back to camp. We didn’t put up much of an argument and quickly started running back the way we came.

“Ok, run, run, run, run, go, go, go!” Dean yelled, trying to push us faster. I looked forward to Dean and saw him running sporadically with the Molotov cocktail still in his hand. 

I was trying so hard to catch up to him but my foot got caught in a tree branch and I quickly went down.

Sam and Ben turned back to help me up, “We got you, Kat”. Once I was righted we began running in the direction of Hayley and Dean. We reached the clearing but we saw that we were all alone. We heard Hayley scream, Ben called out for his sister and both Sam and I frantically called out for Dean but neither of us got any answers.

 

We knew the wendigo wouldn’t have left a trail but we still looked for one. I felt panic rise up in me. I needed to find Dean soon or who knows what would happen. I quickly said a little prayer that we would find all three of them alive and in one piece.

“If it keeps its victims alive why would it kill Roy?” Ben asked suddenly. I was in the front with Sam following up the back.

“Honestly? I think it killed him because he pissed it off with shooting at it.” Sam answered. We had stopped walking because Ben needed a sip of water. Sam came up to me and squeezed me shoulder. I knew he was worried about me, I hated being separated from Dean, always have. He was my safety net; I always knew that nothing bad would happen to me when he was around. Not that Dad or Sam would not look after me but with Dean it was just different. I really needed to pull it together.

I nodded to Sam, letting him know that I was ok when something caught my eye, Dean’s M&Ms. I picked it up and searched the forest floor for another one… and bingo.

“They went this way,” I said, showing Sam the trail of M&Ms that Dean had left, “They’re better than breadcrumbs, Sam.”

“Well I never would have thought that Dean’s sweet tooth would save the day.” Sam joked and called Ben over to show him what I had found. 

We quickly left and followed the trail to an old abandoned mine shaft that read ‘WARNING! DANGER! DO NOT ENTER, EXTREMELY TOXIC MATERIAL’

“What would you know? I think we found a place that’s dark, hidden and safe for the wendigo to stash our victims.” I said with a little smirk, I finally felt a flicker of hope ignite inside; we were going to find them.   
\------------------------  
Abandoned Mine

We all had our flashlights out, searching for any sign of Hayley, Dean or Tommy. When we heard a growl coming from somewhere in the night we quickly shut them off. Sam pulled Ben against the tunnel wall and put a hand over his mouth to keep the poor kid from whimpering.

We watched from the shadows of the wendigo pass above us. We all held our breath, praying that it hadn’t heard us. After the wendigo turned a corner and went down another tunnel. Sam gestured to us to keep going in the direction that we had been following. I led the way, with Sam making sure Ben was ok and still with us. 

I felt the floor give slightly and heard a creak a millisecond later. I quickly turned to Sam with a look of helplessness and then the floor gave way.

I hit the floor first and rolled over groaning. I felt the uneven ground below us and heard crunching. Once my eyes had adjusted I wanted to vomit. We were standing on a bone graveyard. Sam was finally getting up but poor Ben had landed face first into the pile. He let out a scream and jumped into Sam, who comforted him quietly.

I was trying to calm myself down and think of a way out of this room but nothing was coming to me. I quickly noticed something abnormal, for this room. Hanging from the rafter that was supporting the mine was a figure, two figures actually!

Haley was in front and Dean was slightly behind her. I walked up to Dean with a huge smile. I gently lifted my hand to Dean’s face and tried to shake him awake. I prayed for Dean to wake up and be ok. 

“Dean… Dean!” I called to him, shaking him harder each time. I saw Ben trying to rouse his sister and Sam looking for something to cut them down with.

I quickly realized that shaking him wasn’t going to wake him, “I’m sorry, Babe,” and slapped him which seemed to work.

“Damn, woman!” Was he weak response, at least he was smirking.

 

“Dean! Are you OK?” I didn’t give him a chance to respond; I threw my arms around him and kissed him.

He winced and grunted “Yeah, just get me down.”

Sam came up to us, clapped Dean on the back. I quickly moved under his arm and supported his weight while Sam moved to get Hayley down. I could tell Dean was not ok because his breathe was labored and he was putting all his weight on me. I moved us a couple feet and propped us both up against a wall in the tunnel. Den let out an usual groan and I couldn’t help the grimace.

“Are you sure you are all right?” I was worried, Dean was holding his side. I lifted up his shirt looking for any wounds he might have received. I didn’t see any external signs of any injuries.

He told me he was fine and asked where the wendigo went too. We assured him that it was gone for now and we worked on getting Hailey down. Once she was down she saw another body hanging.

“Tommy?” She cried out and ran over to him. Tommy suddenly jerked awake, gasping for air as soon as Hailey rested her hand on his cheek. Hailey and Ben worked quickly to cut their brother down.

I let go of Dean once I knew he was ok to hold his own and when I stepped back I tripped over the packs I had forgotten we brought. Dean and I had started to rifle through the packs and Dean pulled out two flair guns.

“Check it out,” Dean said holding one flair gun in each arm.

“Those might work.” I told him, he just laughed and twirled the guns around like some cheerleader would a button.  
\--------------------------------------------------------

Dean seemed a lot better now as we were moving through the old mind, not at full strength but definitely better. Maybe it was my mind just being stupid but I couldn’t help but wrap my arm around him to support him. Dean didn’t seem to mind and pulled me closer into his side, he gave me a quick kiss on the head and we set off. Sam was in the lead and had one flair gun while Dean had the second. Hailey and Ben helped Tom limp along. I turned around when we heard growling down the tunnel.

“Looks like someone’s home for supper.” Dean said.

“We’ll never out run it.” Hailey stated, knowing this was true. It would be impossible without three of them not up to perfect health.

Dean looked at Sam and I, “You thinking what I’m thinking?”

“Yeah, I think so.” Sam nodded. Well I’m glad one of us does. I knew that whatever Dean was thinking was going to be risky and put him in even more danger. We heard the wendigo’s growl getting closer, we didn’t have much time.

“All right, listen to me. Stay with Sam and Kat, they’re gonna get you out of here.”

“Wait, what are you gonna do?” I knew better than to argue with him, especially since Sam had already agreed with him. Didn’t mean I had to like it, Dean just smirked and gave me a quick kiss and ran off into the tunnel.

“It’s chow time, freakin’ bastard! Yeah, that’s right! Bring it on baby! I taste good!” Dean shouted, looking back at us and he waved us to get going and the disappeared into the darkness of another tunnel.

I took a deep breath and nodded and we started walking toward the exit.

Sam was in front of us, “All right, come one. Hurry!”

I was trailing behind the group and the siblings were trying to move as fast as they could but with Tom’s injuries it wasn’t as fast as we needed to be. When we heard growling in front of us, Sam raised his flair gun but lowered it and turned to me, “Get them outta here.”

“Sam, no. You can’t just leave!”

“Go, Go, Go!” and pushed me towards the exit.

I got Hailey, Ben and Tom out of the tunnel and quickly ran back in. If those assholes thought I was gonna leave them then they were both dumber than I thought.

I got to them just in time to see Sam shoot a flair gun off but miss the monster. I called out to Sam and he ran to me and we both started running back out. We could hear the wendigo behind us, getting closer. This was it.

Sam stopped and pushed me behind him; I quickly started saying a prayer for both of us. The wendigo got closer, Goddamn it was an ugly son of a bitch, took a step closer and reared back its head. It let out a loud roar and then suddenly there was Dean!

“Hey!” he called out to the monster, it turned around and Dean fired his gun. Perfect shot, in seconds the wendigo was up in flames and crumpled into a pile of ash on the tunnel’s dirt floor.

“Not bad, huh?” he asked with a grin, he always was happy when he ganked a monster.

I couldn’t reply; I just ran to him, wrapped my arms around him and gave him a huge kiss.

“Ew guys. Seriously? Let’s just get out of here.” Sam complained and then started walking off out of the tunnel.  
\----------------------------------

Ranger Station

The Rangers were still interviewing Ben and Sam. Everyone agreed to tell them that it was a huge grizzly attack, since that was always what they wanted. Hailey walked up to Dean and I standing near the ambulance.

“So really, I don’t know who to thank you guys.” Hailey said. Dean threw her a flirtatious smile.

“Must you cheapen the moment?” She said laughing, Dean just looked at me and threw his arm around my shoulder.

“Yeah, it’s usually his thing.” I said, stating the truth. Dean let out a bark of a laugh, gave me a kiss on the forehead and moved on to talk with Sammy.

“You guys have the weirdest dynamic.” Hailey said shaking her head.

“How so?”

“Well you called Sam your brother, right?” I nodded, “Well that would make Dean your brother also. Except you guys are really, really close.” She frowned.

“Oh, no. I mean yes Sam is like my brother. See our, their dad rescued me when I was fourteen and sorta adopted me. They are like brothers, sorta. Dean is just… more than that.”

“Well that’s good. I was getting really grossed out with the way he was looking at you. I mean I have two brothers and I couldn’t understand that. It’s intense; very, very intense.” Hailey said.

“And just how does he look at me?” I asked, curious to hear this.

“Like you’re his everything, his world,” my mouth was opened and wide eyed, “I mean he doesn’t show it outwardly but I guess it must be hard. Doing what you do, fighting and being in danger all the time, but you can just tell he loves you. When you guys are in the same area he almost never takes his eyes off you, even when fighting. Not that he doesn’t trust you because I am sure if he didn’t he would never allow you to be in the battle or life alongside him.”

“Uh… hm,” I was speechless, “Thank you, I guess I never really hear it from an outside point of view.” I told her, she just smiled.

Shortly after a paramedic came up to Hailey and asked if she was riding with her brother. We parted ways and she told us that she hoped we found our father.

I walked over to my guys and watched with them the ambulance pull away. “Man, I hate camping.” Dean said seriously.

I chuckled and nudged him, “Me too.”

“Sam, you know we’re going to find Dad, right?” I told Sam

“Yeah, I know,” he started out seriously and then turned to Dean with a smile on his face, “but in the meantime, I’m driving.”

Dean looked down, then over to me and sighed. He pulled out his keys and tossed them to Sammy, “I could use a little time with my girl here.” He smiled and pulled me back towards the back seat.

“Hey, no funny stuff guys! I don’t wanna hear it or see it!” Sam said laughing at Dean’s pout.

Sam got in the driver’s seat and turned the engine over. In that moment, for the first time since we got Sam back, everything felt right. We would find dad. We didn’t know where we were going to next but all that mattered is that we were in it together. Nothing could or would change that.


	5. Phantom Traveller

I was sitting up against the motel’s lumpy bed reading the motels Bible I had found in the bed side table.  Dean looked to be sleeping peacefully in the early morning, to the untrained eye.  I saw the door creak open and I smiled; Sam winked at me and raised his hand telling me to shush.

I saw Dean quietly reach under the pillow to grab his knife; I think Sam forgot that little fact.  He listened to the footsteps get closer to our bed, when they got too close for his comfort he sprang up brandishing his huge knife at the intruder.

“Woah!  Morning Sunshine.”  Sam said holding up the coffee and pastries as a peace offering.

Dean’s body relaxes and I let out a little laugh.  “What time is it?” he asks us both before groaning and falling back onto his pillow, his knife hitting the ground with a deep thud.

“5:45”

“In the morning?”

I just nodded, put the Bible down, making note of where I left off, and grabbed the cup Sam was offering me.

“Where does the day go?”

Sam threw the bag of pastries on the bed and put Dean’s coffee down on the nightstand next to his side.  Dean quickly took a gulp of his coffee and then a mouthful of a donut.

“Do you guys mind if I use your shower?  Mine is making this weird sound and the water is brown.”  Sam asked making his bitch face.  Dean waved his hand, a sign of not giving a fuck, he had his coffee and donut. 

I took a sip of my coffee and let out a grateful groan.  The caffeine was much needed after last night. 

Dean stopped his gluttony and looked over at me, giving me a once over. 

“Did you get any sleep last night?”

“Yeah, of course.”

“Liar.  I woke up around 3am and you were watching a George Foreman commercial with the Bible on your lap.”  Dean said with a caring look in his eyes.

“George and God are riveting.  What can I say?”  I responded shrugging and took a sip of my coffee.  I felt bad because I knew that my tossing at night must be keeping him awake.

“I want to say you are getting almost as bad as Sam.”  Dean told me, taking another bite of his donut and leaned against my side.

I took a deep breath, “You don’t think I know that?  I don’t know why I can’t sleep or stay asleep.  All the voodoo witchy sickness has passed and I _am_ feeling a lot better.  I just can’t shake this feeling that something is coming, something big.  I… I don’t know Dean. I-” I broke off feeling tears in my eyes.  This weak person wasn’t who I am; I am better, _stronger_ than that.  Dad taught me to be.

“Hey,” Dean said softly, reaching out to grasp my chin to look at him, “Hey, we will figure everything out.  I promise.  Nothing bad is going to happen, to you, Sam or Dad.  Not on my watch.”

I nodded and then allowed myself to be pulled down onto the bed with Dean and quickly fit into the usual position, my head in the crook between his shoulder and neck with my hand over his heart.

I calmed down just in time for Sam to come out of the bathroom and for Dean’s phone to ring.  Sam pulled up the chair from the tiny kitchen table and looked over at me, silently questioning if I knew Dean was expecting a call, and I just shrugged. 

Dean looked over at the flip phone curiously, not recognizing the number, “Hello?”

Sam and I looked at each other, both hoping it was Dad.

“Oh right, yeah Jerry.  How are you?” Dean asked, suddenly remembering the man from a when we helped him with a poltergeist, “The poltergeist isn’t back, is it?”

“Ah, good, good.  So what can we do you for?”  Dean asked cutting right to the chase.  Jerry gave a short reply and Dean hung up the phone shortly after.

“So what did Jerry want?”  I asked.

“He wouldn’t say wants to talk in person.”  Dean answered.  I knew Dean was itching to get on a hunt so I climbed off him and started gathering my clothes.  Dean swung his legs over and off the bed and stood up.  “We got some driving to do.  Wanna conserve some water?” Dean asks smirking.

I just smile and walk into the bathroom, shutting the door and turning on the shower.  I can just imagine the bitch face on Sam.  Shortly after I get in I hear the door open and feel Dean’s arms wrap around me and his lips on my neck.

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

**Hangar**

The sky was turning darker the closer we drove to the airplane hangar. 

_Great another storm._

I saw Jerry walking out to greet us as Dean pulled Baby up to the hangar.  Jerry didn’t look like he had changed at all.  He walked out with an air of purpose and had on a nice button down white shirt and a tie.  He was wearing a lanyard, indicating his security clearance, around his neck.

Jerry smiled at us as he approached and greeted us as we got out of the car, “Thanks for making the trip out so quickly.  You must be Sam.”  Jerry said shaking the hand that Sam offered.

Sam smiled, “Yeah that’s me.”

Jerry turned and gave me a big smile, “Kat, you are a sight for sore eyes!  Dean here still treating you like a princess?”

“Like I would let him treat me any less,” I joked back giving Jerry a hug, “You’re looking good though.  Melissa keeping you fit?”  I really liked the guy, he and his wife genuinely cared about all the people they met.

“So what’s this all about Jerry?” Dean asked, cutting right to the chase again.  Quickly, Jerry sobered up and looked at Dean.  Jerry told us to follow him and he started walking off into the hangar.

Jerry started talking to Sam about how proud Dad was and how he was bragging about how Sammy was away at college.  I could tell that Sam didn’t quite believe him.  The more Jerry kept talking I could see Dean’s body start to soften and relax. 

When we got to his office, Jerry went around to his desk, inserted a CD and pulled up some file up on his desktop, “I got something I want you guys to hear.”

“Now normally I wouldn’t have access to this.  It’s the cockpit voice records for the United Britannia flight 2485; it’s one of ours.”  Jerry explained.

 

“Mayday! Mayday! Repeat 2485… immediate instruction… may be experiencing some mechanical failure…” and then there was a loud almost roaring sound on the tape and then everything just stopped.  The room was filled with silence as we all tried to process what he had just heard.  I knew the boys were going over the sounds in their head, trying to pick out any EVP.

 

“Took off from here and crashed about two hundred miles south,” Jerry told us grimly. Saying it was mechanical failure.  Cabin depressurized somehow, nobody knows why.  There was over a hundred people on board, only seven got out alive.  The pilot, Chuck Lambert, was one; he’s a good friend of mine.  Chuck’s uh… well he isn’t handling this too well.  Pretty broken up about it, feels like it’s his fault.

“You don’t think it was?” Sam asked.

“No I don’t.” Jerry said shaking his head convinced. I was still trying to figure out how this was our type of thing.  Planes do fail sometimes, nothing supernatural about it.

“Jerry we are going to need the passenger manifests and a list of survivors.”  I requested standing up from my seat.

“Right and, uh, any way we can get in and take a look at the wreck?”  Dean asked.

“The other stuff is no problem, but the wreckage? Guys, the NTSB has it on lockdown in an evidence warehouse.  There’s no way I have that level of clearance.”  Jerry looked at us conflicted.  I knew he wanted to help us any way he could, that was just out of his control.

I put a hand on his shoulder and reassured him that it was fine.  We all said good bye and the three of us got in the car and drove away.

 

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Copy Jack Store

 

I was leaning against the back door of the Impala and looked up just in time to see Dean walking out the Copy Jack store I saw a good looking blonde walk in front of them and Dean tip his head and smiled.  I heard Dean say hi to the lady and couldn’t help but laugh, myself, when she just rolled her eyes and kept walking.

“Dean, you were in there forever!” Sam complained, for once he was starving.

“Yeah, yeah. You can’t rush perfection.”  Dean said cockily, waving three brand new ID’s in our faces.

Sam grabbed them and took a look, “I don’t know, Dean, Homeland Security?  That’s pretty illegal, even for us.

“Yeah, well it’s something new that people haven’t seen a hundred times.” Dean responded and got in the driver’s seat.  Once we were all in the car Dean turned to Sammy, “All right, what do we got?”

“Well there is definitely EVP on the cock pit recorder.” Sam told us, pulling out his laptop.  “Just listen.”  A scratchy voice filled the car; Sam had cancelled out the voices of the pilots and other sounds.

“No survivors!” the voice crackled.

I scrunched my brow in confusion, “Wait, no survivors?  What is that supposed to mean?  There were seven survivors.”

“You got me” Sam shrugged.  We all just sat back and tried to think about what ‘No survivors’ could mean.

“So anyone else thinking a haunted flight?”

“There is a long history of spirits and death omens on planes and ships, like phantom travelers.” Sam explained.  Dean nodded his head remembering hearing about phantom travelers.

“Remember Flight 401?” I asked.

“Right. The plane that crashed and the airline salvaged some of its parts, put it in other planes and the spirit of the pilot and co-pilot haunted those flights.”  Dean said looking towards me for conformation.

“Just maybe we have a similar case here.” I suggested.

“All right, so, survivors, which one do we want to talk to first?”  Dean asked, holding the list and reading us the names of the seven survivors.  Sam grabbed the list in his hands and read it over himself.

“This one; third on the list: Max Jaffey.” Sam said pointed to the name.

“Why him?” I asked, leaning around him to see the name.

“Well for one, he’s from around here.  And two, if anyone saw something weird, he did.” Sam told us.

“And why’s that?” Dean said, curiously.

“Well, I spoke to his mother and she told me where to find him,” Sam said, “He checked himself into Riverfront Psychiatric Hospital.”  Sam looked at us and we all knew that the kid had seen something.  A Psych hospital was a normal step for normal people when they see something like what we experience on a daily basis.

 

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**Riverfront Psychiatric Hospital**

We had done rock paper scissors on who had to stay behind at the hotel room, Dean had lost originally but then he threw a mini temper tantrum.  Sam gave in and told us he would just stay and do more research on the remaining survivors.  Dean and I went to Riverfront Psychiatric Hospital to meet up with Max.  We were currently walking with Max outside the hospital.  Max looked pretty beat up, both physically and mentally.

Max was in between Dean and I, limping along with a cane, he looked between the two of us confused, “I don’t understand.  I mean I already spoke with Homeland Security.”

“Well, some new information has shown up.  So if you could just answer a couple questions…” Dean explained walking further into the yard.  Max nodded and waited for the new questions to begin.

“Just before the plane went down, did you notice anything… unusual?”  I ask gently.

“Like what?”

“Strange lights, weird noises, maybe.  Voices?” Dean suggested.

Max told us he didn’t witness any of that and he walked over to a set of chairs out on the lawn.

“Mr. Joffey-”

“Jaffey”

“Jaffey, right,” Dean corrected, “You checked yourself in here, right?”

“Yes, I was a little stressed.  I _did_ survive a plane crash.  I kept having nightmares, I couldn’t sleep.” Max said as if it was the normal thing to do.  Dean, obviously, wasn’t buying it.

 “Uh huh, and that’s what terrified you?  That’s what you were afraid of?” Dean leaned in pushing the kid for more answers.  Max started fidgeting in his chair and looked at the ground.  It seemed as if he was gonna crack soon.

“I… I don’t want to talk about this anymore.” Max said.

“See, I think maybe you did see something up there.  We need to know what.” Dean pushed again.

“No! No, I was… delusional.  I was just seeing things.” Max stammered.

I could see both Max and Dean getting frustrated.  Dean would never admit it but sometimes the good cop routine works better than bad cop does.  I looked over at Max, and leaned over the table a little toward Max.

“It’s OK, Max.  Can you tell us what you _thought_ you saw?  No judgment, I promise you.  This is off the record.”  I told him earnestly.

Max sighed and nodded, “There was… this, this man.  And, uh, he had um these weird eyes, black eyes,” My heart stopped, “I saw him, well _thought_ I saw him…”

“What did you see Max.” Dean asked.

“He, he opened the emergency exit,” Max spurt out.  We both sat back trying to adjust all the new information we received, “But that’s… that’s impossible, right? I looked it up; there is something like to tons of pressure on that door.” Max said.

“This man, did he seem to appear and disappear rapidly?  It would look something like a mirage.”  I asked Max, hoping it was just a ghost.

“What?!  Are you guys nuts?” Max asked, I couldn’t help but smirk a little.  _Oh Max, you don’t even know the half of it._   “He was a passenger.  He was sitting right in front of me.”

Dean thanked Max and gently pulled me up and away from Max.  Once we were in the car I was free to have a meltdown.

There have been a few creatures that have black eyes.  Yet there was only one that I could think of that could cause this catastrophe.  Demons.  I knew firsthand the evil that demons could cause. 

“Hey Kat, are you ok?” Dean asked, he turned to me, concerned.

“Black eyes, Dean.  Black eyes.  You know as well as I do what that could mean.”  I said with tears in my eyes but no emotion in my voice.  I was feeling the same dizziness as when I was sick.  My mind was spinning.  I started looking for a way out of the car, everything was closing in on me.

“Woah, woah!  Kat, I think you’re having a panic attack.  Listen to my voice, concentrate on your breathing.  That’s it, in and out… in and out.”  Dean said talking me through my apparent panic attack.

I started to feel better after a few minutes, “Now just because a _creature_ with black eyes caused a plane to crash does not mean it was a demon, Kat.  There are a few monsters that we’ve come across that can have black eyes.  Let’s not jump to any conclusions until we get back to Sam.  Maybe he found something that says differently.” Dean said trying to make me feel better.

He was right, I knew he was right.  I just knew it wasn’t any monster other than a demon.  I don’t know how I knew but I just had a feeling.  I put myself right and pulled my seat belt on, “Let’s go and tell Sammy what we found out.” I said determinedly.

“Hey, you know I would never let anything happen to you like that again right?”

I turned to look at Dean.  I could see the sincerity in his voice and face.  I smiled and said of course.  Shortly after we were pulling out of the hospital and heading towards the hotel.

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**Phelps House**

When we got to the hotel and told Sam about what we had found we decided the next and most obvious thing would to be to go the person who Max saw open the door’s house.  Sam also thought it was still a little early to jump to the demon conclusion.  Sam looked at the seating chart and saw that it a George Phelps was seated right in front of Max.  It didn’t take long to find an address for his house and then we were on the road again.

We pulled up George’s house and just sat there looking up at it.  I knew I really didn’t want to go in; this _was_ the house of the man with black eyes after all.  I wanted to steer clear of anything with black eyes.  The house was really a perfect, two-story house with lattice on the side and a little balcony on the second floor.  The garden was bright and colorful, full of many types of flowers and the lawn was perfectly landscaped.

“Here we are, the house of George Phelps, seat 20C.” Sam spoke, breaking the silence in the Impala.

“Hm, man I don’t care how strong you are.  Even if he was yoked up on PCP or something, there is no way someone could just open up that plane’s door.” Dean said trying to grasp what Max had told us earlier.

“Not if you are human, but maybe this George guy was something else.  Some kind of creature in human form or something.”  Sam said trying to make sense of it all.

I stayed quiet, knowing what it was; the guys didn’t want to hear what I thought it was, “Guys, does that look like a monster’s lair to you?” I sighed and opened my door, walking up to the house, knowing my guys were right behind me.

I waited for them to catch up, knocked on the door and waited for Mrs. Phelps to open up. “Good afternoon Ma’am, I am looking for Mrs. Phelps.  Is she available to speak with us?  My name is Agent Jett along with Agent Wanek and Singer.”

“Oh yes, of course!  I am Mrs. Phelps, please come in officers.  How can I help you?”  George’s wife greeted us and held the door open for us.

She escorted us in and took a better look at our clothing, not suits or professional attire at all.

“Sorry about our get-up, Mrs. Phelps.  Laundry day.”  I explained with an embarrassed look on my face.

“Not a problem at all, Agent, I understand completely.  Would you three like anything to drink?”

“No thank you, ma’am.”  Sam responded we all then sat down on the couch across from the Mrs.

We then started asking Mrs. Phelps questions about her husband like did anything seem strange, any sudden changes, routine questions that we ask during every job.  Other than her telling us that he was scared to fly and he had acid flux he was just a normal, albeit _boring_ , dentist.  We thanked her and offered out condolences and shortly left the house.

“Well that was a fuckin’ waist of our time.  All we found out was that the good dentist was afraid of flying and had bad acid reflux!”  Dean shouted as soon as we were all in the car.

“What we really need to do is get in the NTSB warehouse and get sift through the wreckage.” Sam pointed out,

I had a thought just then and couldn’t help but let out, what I could only assume, was an evil smile, “Well if you are going to play the part of a Homeland Security agent you have to look the part guys.”

Both Sam and Dean looked at me questioningly.

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**Suit Rental Shop**

Sam and Dean exited the suit rental shop dressed in professional black suits, white shirts and black ties. They looked like they'd just walked out of their prom. Sam adjusted his collar and Dean looked down at himself disgustedly.

"Man, I look like one of the Blues Brothers." Dean complained to me.

"No you don't, you look hot." I said with a wink.

"Nah, you look more like a seventh-grader at his first dance." Sam was saying. Dean looked down at himself again.

"I hate this thing!" He said vehemently, starting to walk back toward the car.

"Hey, you want into that warehouse or not?" Sam asked, walking along with him.

"Now tell me again, why are you not in a suit?" Dean asked me, getting into the driver's seat, Sam was sitting shotgun.

"Because I'm your getaway driver." I smiled, sliding into the back of the Impala.

"Sorry baby." He muttered to the Impala. I scoffed and punched him in the shoulder. Contrary to Dean’s belief, I was a pretty good driver.

"Hey!" I exclaimed, slightly laughing/

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**NTSB Evidence Warehouse**

I stood next to the car as I watched Sam and Dean walked into the warehouse and flash their badges at the security officer. As soon I saw the boys get into the warehouse without any problems I let out a sigh of relief and walked around to the driver’s side door and drove over to the area where they would most likely be running out.

All I had to do now was wait for them to find what was needed. It would probably take thirty minutes, forty-five tops.

They'd been gone about twenty minutes when I noticed a black government-looking SUV pull up to the warehouse. Two men in suits got out and walked confidently up to the door. I quickly got my phone out and started dialing Dean before they even got to the security guard.

"What?" Dean's voice answered the phone.

"You got company." I said quickly, starting the car up and pulling slowly around to the side of the building.

"Shit... thanks." Dean answered, “Sammy. We have company.” I heard him whisper.

“Listen, I parked on the side near the emergency exit. There is a fence separating us, so figure that out.” I informed him.

I spotted them walking casually toward the fence until suddenly an alarm started blaring and people all over the compound mobilized and running into the warehouse. Dean and Sam broke into a run for the fence. I saw Dean pull off his jacket and throw it over the barbed wire on top of the fence, he easily climbed over the fence, Sam following. He reached back and grabbed the jacket, slinging it over his shoulder.

I pulled the car up beside them and they climbed in.

"Well, these monkey suits do come in handy!" Dean laughed. I smiled, pulling away from the fence and heading back to town.

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**Jerry's Office**

Once we got back to Jerry’s office I grabbed the sample that Sam and Dean had found on the emergency door handle and brought it over to the microscope. Dean and Sam were looking at the same thing on the screen in front of us.

"This stuff is sulphur." I said.

"You're sure?" Sam asked.

I waved a hand at the microscope. "Take a look for yourself."

Sam stepped up next to me and looked into the microscope.

"Hmm." Dean pondered. I looked at him but he was avoiding my gaze.

"Can we please agree in saying this is a demon now?” I asked, crossing my arms over my chest. Dean looked over to me uncertainly.

"So George was possessed?” Dean asked.

"Well, there's not too many things that leave behind a sulphuric residue." I said uncomfortably.

"It would explain how a mortal man would have the strength to open up an emergency hatch." Sam said, frowning.

"If the guy was possessed, it's possible." Dean conceded.

"This goes way beyond what we've seen before." Dean said. "I mean it’s one thing to possess a person... but to use them to take down an entire plane?"

"You ever hear of something like this before?" Sam asked of us both.

Dean shook his head and looked at me. "Never." I answered almost in a whisper.

I fucking hate demons.

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**Eudora, Kansas 1994**

_I kept in a scream, knowing for some reason that my dad wasn’t my dad. I saw my mom open her eyes slightly and look at me. She slightly shook her head, telling me to not come in, to run away. I couldn’t just leave my mom there with this… this thing!_

_My dad stepped in front of me and crouched down to be face to face with her, “Now tell me where your bitch of a daughter is and maybe I will let you live.” He taunted her._

_I was in shock; why would it want me? I am just a normal fuckin fourteen year old girl._

_“Go. Back. To. Hell.” My mother spat out._

_Back to hell. What was she talking about? Suddenly it hit me, my dad was a demon. My mother was always big into folk lore and The Bible; her father had been a minister at some point in his lift. Every night she would either tell me a story from The Bible or a folk lore about some made up creature or monster. Could it be that demons were not only real but one was in my dad?_

_“Oh Honey, I every intention of going back. I just need your precious Kat, and then I will have a goddamn parade thrown for my homecoming.” I heard my dad say in a menacing dark voice._

_I heard my mom spit in his face and then a loud crack, “NO!” I shouted without even realizing it._

_I saw my dad whip around with an evil smirk on his face, “Ah there you are precious. I have been waiting for you to arrive.”_

_The next thing I knew I was flying towards the fireplace mantel. I felt my body slam into the brick of the fireplace and saw spots and my eyesight became blurry._

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**Motel Room**

Once we got back to the motel we went into full research mode. We found articles that fit the mold and after Sam would print it out I would tape them to the wall along with the along with any writings or pictures that were found in dad’s journal. Sam was sitting at the computer, looking at something. Dean was sitting on the one clean bed, leaning forward and reading from a book in a pile sitting on the other bed.

"So, every religion in every world culture has the concept of demons and demonic possession, right?" He looked at me specifically.

"I mean, Christian, Native American, Hindu, you name it."

"Yeah, but none of them describe anything like this." I answered.

"Well that's not exactly true. According to this, in Japanese beliefs, certain demons are behind certain disasters, both natural and man-made. One causes earthquakes, another causes disease." Sam said.

"So what, this one causes plane crashes?" I asked, rubbing my temples. Sam just shrugged.

"All right. So, what? We have a demon that's evolved with the times and found a way to rack up the body count?" Dean said standing up from the bed.

"I guess I mean, who knows how many planes it's brought down before this one?" Sam said.

Dean snorted and started to pace in the small gap between the beds.

"I don't know man. This isn't our normal gig. " He paused in front of me. "I mean, demons, they don't want anything but death and destruction for its own sake." He said quietly.

"This is big." I said, grabbing the cross necklace my mom had given me, it always provided me with an extra source of comfort. "I wish Dad was here." I whispered. Dean pulled me into his arms, looking over at Sam who was giving me a worried look.

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**Eudora, Kansas 1994**

_I heard mom screaming and crying out my name but I couldn’t speak, I couldn’t do anything.  I must have passed out for a little bit because the next thing I knew I was bound to a chair._

_“You have me! please just let my mom go.” I cried out, trying to save my mom._

_“Nah I don’t think I will.  See she knows way to much about me and all our plans,” the demon told me, “As a matter of fact, I really shouldn’t let your daddy go either. Who knows what he might have found out?”_

_The demon then pulls out a blade and stabbed my dad in the heart, both my mom and I let out heartbreaking cries, “Now, now, that enough of the theatrics from you two.”  The demon then walked out of the room._

_“Kat, now you listen to me ok baby?  I called your dad and mine’s friend before everything went down.  His name is John; he is on his way and should be here soon.  If anything happens to me I need you to go with him.” My mom whispered over to me._

_“Mom, nothing is going to happen to you.  If he is really on way then he can save both of us!”  I tried to reassure her, tears were rolling down both of our eyes.  My mom just nodded; I could tell she really didn’t believe me._

_“You remember all those old bedtime and bible stories I used to tell you?” My mom asked me, I just nodded. “I need you to keep them fresh in your mind for me ok?  If everything is going to happen, like I think, then they are all important.  They could possibly save your life and the lives of millions.”_

_Why was she telling me all this?  Save the lives of millions?  I’m just a fourteen year old, how could I do that?_

_After what felt like hours, the demon came back into the room looking furious, “Who did you call bitch?” He screamed to my mom._

_Mom just smiled and said nothing.  The Demon slapped my mom and I watched how her head snapped to the side so fast from the force of the demon. “TELL ME!” The demon roared.  Still she said nothing to him; instead she looked over to me and pointedly looked down to my necklace._

_She had always said my necklace would protect me from any evil and it was a link to my guardian angel.  Of course I never really believed her but everything I thought was just a story was turning out to be true.  I just knew she was telling me to keep it close._

_Our front door was then banged in and I could see the silhouette of a burly man walking through the door._

_Everything that happened after happened so fast.  The Demon looked from the man to my mom and wrapped his hand around her head and snapped her neck.  I felt my world collapse, my vision got blurry.  The last thing I remember was hearing this man speaking in Latin and the demon screaming and shaking._

_When I woke up there were two kids in my hallway with the man and I was on the couch.  I sat up and heard the man arguing with the oldest son, “Dean, we are not leaving her here.  Just because the demon is gone for now does NOT mean that it won’t be back.”_

_“Dad, I just don’t understand why we have to take her with us.  I mean doesn’t she have any family she can stay with?  We don’t even know her!” The boy, Dean I guess was his name, argued._

_“Her mother and your mother were like sister growing up.  That makes her our family, Dean.”  This must be the John that mom was talking about._

_Mom. Dad.  They were gone. Oh my God, I have no family.  I let out a sob; the youngest boy hears and walks over to me._

_  
“Hi, I’m Sam.”  He introduced himself to me._

_“Kat.”_

_“It’s ok we won’t let anything happen to you.  I’m sorry about your mom and dad.  My mom was killed too.”  Sam said in kind tone._

_“I’m sorry, Sam.”  Sam just smiled and nodded.  He then sat on the couch next to me and grabbed my hand.  I didn’t even know this kid and here he was being the rock that I needed so badly._

_“Sammy?  Where’d you go?”  Dean shouted.  Soon both Dean and John walked into the room.  Dean looked pissed and was pouting.  John looked at me and Sam and just smiled at his youngest._

_“Hi Kat, my name is John and I am-was a friend of your moms.  I can see that you met our Sammy, he is 11, and my oldest Dean, he is a year older than you.  Kat, you don’t have any other family do you?”  John asked gently._

_“No, my mom’s parents died way before I was born and my Dad’s died 2 years ago.”_

_“I thought so.  Kat, I doubt your mom ever told you that she had made plans for you in case this happened right?” John asked.  I shook my head, “Ok well we all made plans that if something were to happen to us that the other would take in their children.  Your mom was my wife’s very best friend, they were like sisters really.  Do you think you would want to come with us?_

_I looked at all of them and tried to think of a reason not to join them.  If my mom trusted John with her life and her only child then who was I to argue with that?  I mean it was practically her dying wish._

_“Yes I will go with you.  Do you mind giving me some time to get some of my things?”  I asked._

_“Of course, take your time.  We will be leaving as soon as you are finished.”  John said and patted me on my shoulders._

_I ran up to my room and grabbed some of my favorite clothes, pictures of my parents and I, and some mementos of my life with them. I also grabbed a duffle bag to fit everything in.   I went into my parent’s room and grabbed my mom’s perfume, my dad’s cologne, some family heirlooms and headed downstairs.  I took a big breath and went into the dining room where my parent’s bodies were.  I gave both of them kisses, whispered my goodbyes and told them that I loved them so much.  I took my dad’s wedding band off and went to take my mom’s but I found that it was missing.  I knew that I couldn’t waste much more time so with a broken heart I left the room._

_I only found Dean and Sam there, “Dad’s getting something from the trunk of our car.  He wanted us to wait for you and bring you out.”  Dean told me, void of emotion._

_I could already tell that we weren’t going to get along.  I just nodded and grabbed a picture frame that had my favorite picture of my parents from their wedding, and a picture of my mom and her maid of honor, knowing now that it was their mother._

_“I’m ready.” I called out to the boys.  They soon came out of my living room.  I walked to the front door and whispered goodbye to the house that I grew up in and all the wonderful memories I had there.  I knew I was never going to see it again._

_Sammy grabbed my hand and smiled at me.  We walked out the door and down the stone pathway, past the garden that my mom adored and spent many weekends tending to.  I saw the car that would take me away from everything that I had known and looked at the boys that are now my only family._

_I saw John run out from the back yard and then soon after saw my dining go up in flames._

_“I am so sorry to have to do this, Kat.  We had a body from a previous hunt that fit your description and when the police and fire squad arrive and put the fire out you will be identified as dead, along with your parents.  It’s the safest way to do this for you.  Needless to say you can’t contact any of your friends ever again.”  John said in a gruff military tone._

_That was how Kat Johnson died and Kat James was born._


	6. Phantom Traveler pt 2

Sam was sitting at the little kitchen table, Dean and I were sitting on the bed, all of us trying to read up on as much about demons as possible when Dean's phone rang and he pulled away to go answer it.

"Hello?" There was a paused as he listened to the other person.

"Oh, hey Jerry." He said followed by another pause. "Wha – Jerry, I'm sorry. What happened?" Sam and I looked up, instantly hooked into the conversation. "Jerry, hang in there all right? We'll catch up with you soon." Dean hung up, looking at Sam and then me.  His face old us all we needed to know.

"Another crash?" Sam asked.

"Yep, let's go." Dean said, grabbing his jacket and feeling for his keys.

"Where?" I asked. Dean looked at us, raising his eyebrow.

"Nazareth."

 

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**Jerry's Office**

 

Jerry was looking through the microscope at the collected specimens that Sam collected from the new crash site at Nazareth. Dean was standing over him, his arms crossed. Jerry finally stood up and looked at us, not thrilled at all with what he found.

 

"Sulphur?" Dean asked. Jerry nodded.

"Well, that's great. All right, that's two plane crashes involving Chuck Lambert. This demon sounds like it was after him," Dean concluded, hands in his pockets.

 Sam and I were sitting behind Jerry's desk using his computer. I was looking through the reports and other files about the two crashes.  The idea that this demon was going after Chuck just didn’t make any sense to me.

"With all due respect to Chuck, if that's the case that would be the good news." I said, looking up at Dean and Jerry.

"What's the bad news?" Dean asked.

"Chuck's plane went down exactly forty minutes into the flight. So did flight 2485." I said, still staring at the screen.

"Forty minutes? What does that mean?" Jerry asked.

"It's biblical numerology.  Noah's ark, it rained for forty days, forty days and nights. The number can sometimes mean death or completeness." I finished. I thought about it, forty was such a recurring theme in the Bible; the theory did fit with our case.

"We went back into the records. There have been six plane crashes over the last decade that all went down exactly forty minutes in," Sam said, jumping in and looking up from the screen.

"Any survivors?" Dean asked. Sam shook his head.

"No, well, not until now, at least." Sam said. "Remember what the EVP said on the cockpit recorder?"

"No survivors." I sighed, sinking further into my chair.

"It's going after all the survivors. It's trying to finish the job!"

 

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**Impala**

 

Dean was driving, of course. Sam was in the front seat talking on the phone to one of the survivors on the phone.  Sam decided to personally call every survivor to see if they were going to going on a flight anytime soon. I listened to my own phone, trying to reach the flight attendant Amanda walker.  I growled when, once again, I got her voicemail.

"Really? Well, thank you for taking our survey, and if you do plan to fly, please don't forget your friends at United Britannia Airlines. Thanks." Sam hung up the phone.

"All right. That takes care of Blaine Sanderson and Dennis Holloway. They're not flying any time soon." Sam informed us.

"So our only wild card is the flight attendant Amanda Walker." Dean said.

"Right, her sister Karen said her flight leaves Indianapolis at eight pm. It's her first night back on the job." I said from the back.

"That sounds like just our luck." Dean said, hitting the accelerator and causing the Impala to lurch forward.

"Dean, this is a five-hour drive, man, even with you behind the wheel." Sam pointed out.

"Call Amanda's cellphone again, see if we can't head her off at the pass." Dean instructed.

"I already left her three voice messages. She must have turned her cellphone off." I said, leaning forward because I was feeling a little left out.

"God, we're never gonna make it." Sam said, running a hand through his hair.

"We'll make it." Dean said, pushing the Impala just a little harder.

 

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**Indianapolis Airport**

 

Dean pulled the car into the airport parking lot and we all jumped out.  Dean went right to the trunk and was routing around.

I turned to him and walked u beside him, “Dean what are you looking for?  We need to go!”

He pulled out a little purple pouch that I hadn’t seen since I was fourteen.  He opened it and out slid something I hadn’t seen in forever, “Dean, where did you-”

“Dad saved it from the fire at your house.  Said one of us might need it someday.

The amulet was my mother’s; it was supposed to ward her and those around her from evil.  I knew it was all bullshit now.

"Dean... I'm not wearing that." I said firmly.

"Yes, you are." He said, looking me in the eyes.

"No, I'm not!" I said. I turned away and started walking toward Sam, tears coming into my eyes.

“Kat!  Come on and be reasonable will you!  This amulet wards off anything that intends to harm you.  We will be in close quarters with a demon.”  Dean insisted grabbing my arm and pulling me back to him.

I scoffed. "Well a whole lot of good it did for my family, Dean!"

"No one was wearing it. You weren't wearing it.” He said quietly, taking me by the arms and looking into my eyes.

I ran a shaky hand through my hair, blowing a hard breath out of my mouth. Dean was standing near me, but not touching me, allowing me space to come to grips with what he had just said.

"Please. You need-I need you to wear this." He said, looking at me.

"OK..." I said softly, giving in. Dean nodded and pulled me closer, kissing my forehead.

He clipped the amulet on the other side of my cross.  The amulet had ancient symbols all over it; it is supposed to create a permanent protective wall against any attempt of destruction meant to impair its owner's spirit, or to hurt the owner’s development, or their relationships.

"Well there, it looks great on you," he said, pulling me against him and brushed his lips against mine, pulling back to look me in the eyes.

"Thank you." He said, his eyes showing that he really hadn't wanted to get into a fight over this.

“Oh the things I do for love.” I sighed, smiling to let him know I understood.

“Uh guys we do still have a damn plan to stop, remember?” Sam interrupting, reminding us of why we were at the airport.

“Oh Sammy, stop with your bitch face.”  I grumbled.

Dean nodded and took off to walk into the airport

Sam got his attention. "Dean!"

"What?!" Dean asked, slowing down to walk backwards toward the door, looking back at us.

"Dean we're about to walk into an airport!" Sam said pointedly.

Dean stopped and stared at Sam.

_Ah the silent brother conversations._

He shook his head. Sam shook his head back at him with another pointed look which Dean seemed to understand. Dean shook his head again with sigh, this time returning to the Impala and opening the trunk. We watched as he pulled out a gun, several knives and a few other weapons from various sections of his clothing, tossing them into the trunk before closing it again.  I remembered a few guns that I had on my person and quickly stowed them and a throwing knife in the trunk along with all of Dean’s.

"I feel naked," he said, throwing his arms up in the air before walking past us. Sam and I laughed and shook our heads, following Dean into the airport. We headed straight for the departures board.

"There. Boarding in 30 minutes," I said, pointing to the flight board.

"Okay. We still have some cards to play. We need to find a phone," Dean said looking about and spotting a pay phone and running towards it.

"Hi. Gate thirteen," Dean said. "I'm trying to contact an Amanda Walker. She's a flight attendant on flight, um... flight 424."

We heard the announcement go over the PA system, calling Amanda to the courtesy phone. Dean was looking anxious. "Miss Walker. Hi, this is Dr. James Hatfield from St. Francis Memorial Hospital. We have a Karen Walker here." Dean said when she came on the line.

There was a pause as the other woman obviously responded.

"Nothing serious, just a minor car accident, but she was injured, so –” He broke off, a frown crossing his face.

"Uh, well... there must be some mistake." Dean said. I hit my forehead with my palm. Sam looked on anxiously.

"Guilty as charged." Dean said chuckling, shrugging at me. I frowned as I had no idea what was going on but I knew our plan wasn’t working as Dean had planned.  I quietly pulled Sam away from Dean.

"Sam, we need to get on that plane," I told him, making sure there was no room for arguments.

"He's really sorry," Dean was saying. "Yes, but... he really needs to see you tonight, so -" He listened a little more. "Don't be like that. Come on. The guy's a mess. Really. It's pathetic." Another pause.

"No, no. Wait, Amanda! Amanda!" He yelled into the phone. "Dammit! So close." He said to us.

"All right, time for plan B." Sam said, looking at me. "We're getting on that plane."

Dean had stopped moving and was looking at us wide-eyed. "Whoa, whoa, now just hold on a second." He said, holding his hand out to Sam and I.

"Dean, that plane is leaving with over a hundred passengers on board, and if we're right, that plane is gonna crash." Sam said.

"I know." Dean said exasperated, his eyes wide and anxious.

"Okay. So we're getting on the plane, we need to find that demon and exorcise it. I'll get the tickets." Sam looked at me. "You guys get whatever you can out of the trunk. Whatever will make it through security.  Meet me back here in five minutes." I nodded and started to head toward the exit.

Dean hadn't moved. I paused and looked back at him.

"Babe, are you ok?" I asked, noticing Dean turn a shade whiter.

"No, not really." Dean admitted with a shrug.

"What? What's wrong?" Sam asked. I came to stand next to Dean, hand on his arm.

"Well, I kind of have this problem with, uh..." Dean's voice trailed off.

"Flying?" I asked, looking at him with disbelief.

"It's never really been an issue until now." Dean said anxiously, waving his arms around.

"You're joking, right?" Sam said.

"Do I look like I'm joking? Why do you think I drive everywhere?" I looked at him, his eyes were wide and white, he _was_ terrified. I'd never seen him like this over something so trivial.

Sam took a few steps back, trying to come up with a better solution.

"All right, all right. Kat and I will just go." Sam said.

"What?" Dean said, looking wildly at us both. I nodded agreement with Sam.

"We can do this one on our own." Sam said.

"What are you nuts? I'm not letting you two get on that plane. You said it yourself, the plane's gonna crash!" He was frantically looking at us.

"Dean. We can either do this all together, or Sam and I will do it on our own. But we're getting on that plane. There is no other option here, anymore." I told him.

"Come on! Really?" Dean said, sighing, stepping back and looking around the terminal, looking so hard for any other reason not to get on that plane. "Man... I hate it when you both gang up on me!"

 

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**Flight 424**

 

Sam and I both agreed it would be best if I sat next to Dean. He was currently seated in the aisle seat and was flipping through the safety card, clearly not enjoying the trip. Sam leaned across me to speak to his brother.

"Dean. Just try to relax." He said.

"Just try to shut up!" Dean snapped back, I couldn’t help but smile and let out a little chuckle.

The plane took off and Dean grabbed my hand squeezing it tightly. I threw him an encouraging smile and leaned back into the power of the takeoff, telling him that it was always a little bumpy in the take off.

I always loved flying, my parents and I would always take a yearly trip to Disney and instead of driving my dad would treat us to a plane ride. I never really put much thought into why we never flew; I just thought it was part of staying under the radar.

After takeoff I noticed that Dean was humming to himself, still frozen in place, hand tightly on mine.

"Are you humming Metallica?" I asked smiling.

He looked at me, taking a breath. "Calms me down." He explained. I nodded, amusement in my eyes.

"Look, man," Sam said from the seat beside me. "I get you're nervous, all right? But you gotta stay focused." He whispered.

"Okay." Dean breathed, trying so hard to make himself calm down.  I truly felt sorry for him.  I leaned over and gave him a hard kiss, hoping to take his mind off the panic.

"We got thirty-two minutes and counting to track this thing down, or whoever it's possessing, anyway, and perform a full-on exorcism." Sam continued. I  let go of Dean's hand, and reached for my carry on that was resting between my knees and sat it on my lap.

"Yeah, on a crowded plane. That's gonna be easy." Dean spouted sarcastically  from beside me.       

"Just one step at a time, all right?" I said, sitting back into my chair. "Now, the real question is who is it possessing?" I asked, eyeing over every of passenger on the plane.

"It's usually somebody with some sort of weakness, you know, a chink in the armor that the demon can worm through.  It could be somebody with an addiction or some sort of emotional distress." I knew Dean was trying to be sensitive around me with this case.  I always thought that my real dad was one of the strongest men I would ever know.  If that was the truth than how could he have been possessed by a demon?

"Well, this is Amanda's first flight after the crash. If I were her, I'd be pretty messed up." I said simply. Dean turned to the flight attendant near us.

"Excuse me, are you Amanda?" He asked.

"No, I'm not." She replied, her eyes smiling at him.

"Oh, my mistake." Dean said, looking back at the seat in front of him.  I was in shock.  This was probably the first time that Dean did not flirt with a pretty woman in front of him.  I didn’t feel glad about this because that showed how scared Dean truly was.

"All right, well that's got to be Amanda back there, so I'll go talk to her, and, uh, I'll get a read on her mental state." Dean said.

"What if she's already possessed?" Sam asked.

Dean rummaged around in my bag and pulled out a Virgin Mary shaped bottle of water. "I brought holy water!" He said with a smile.

"No!" Sam said, snatching the bottle out of his hand and tucking it into his hoodie.

"I think we can go more subtle." Sam said, peering over to me for validation.

"If she's possessed, she'll flinch at the name of God." I suggested, trying to help

"Oh. Nice." Dean smiled, standing up and turning to go.

"Hey!" Sam said, standing up and getting Dean’s attention, Dean turned around. "Say it in Latin." Sam reminded him.

Dean gave Sam an obvious look. "I know." He turned to go again.

"Ok.” Sam said sitting back in his seat. I smiled, knowing that Sam was just being nervous; hell I was also.

“Dean!” Sam called out in a shouted whisper.

Dean marched back over to us, “What?”

"Dean!" Sam called out again.

“Um, Christo, Christ in Latin is Christo.”  Sam said choppily.

“Dude, I know! I’m not an idiot!” Dean cried out in frustration and turned around to walk back to Amanda.  I kept watching him and just chuckled at how he was walking slowly and grabbing onto the back of the seats as he walked.  Yes he was more nervous than I had ever seen him before but he was OK.  I turned back around in my seat and just looked out the window.

"All right, well, she's got to be the most well-adjusted person on the planet." Dean said, sitting down with a sigh of relief.

"You said Christo?" Sam asked.

"Yeah."

"And?" Sam prompted.

"There's no demon in her. There's no demon getting in her." Dean replied.

"So if it's on the plane, it can be anyone. Anywhere." I said, looking around. We hit turbulence and Dean grabbed the seat arms.

"Oh come on! That can't be normal!" Dean exclaimed, people just turned and stared at him.

"Hey babe, it's just a little turbulence," I said grabbing his hand, trying to calm him down.

"Kat, this plane is going to crash, ok? So quit treating me like I'm friggin' four." He said forcefully. I raised my eyebrow and just looked at him.  Instead of seeing anger or annoyance in his eyes I saw fear.

"You need to calm down." I told him turning his face to look at me.

"Well I'm sorry, I can't." He said.

"Yes, you can." Sam chimed in.

"Look, stow the touchy-feely, self-help yoga crap, it's not helping." Dean snapped.

Sam leaned across me, "Listen, if you're panicked, you're wide open to demonic possession, so you need to calm yourself down. Right.  Now."

Sam’s words seemed to sink in; Dean nodded and started to take long, slow and deep breaths.  I could see Dean starting to calm down, or at least he was trying to.

I quickly spoke up, “"So here's the exorcism that we need to do; it’s called the Rituale Romanum."

"What do we have to do?" Sam asked.

"Well it's in two parts." I read from Dad’s journal. "The first psalm expels the demon from the victim's body. It makes it manifest, which actually makes it more powerful."

"More powerful?" Sam asked.

"It won't need to possess someone any more. It can just wreak havoc on its own." I said wearily.  God knows I don’t ever want to make a demon _more_ powerful but at this point we really don’t have any other option.

"The second part sends it back to Hell once and for all." I said.

Demons were never really our thing.  Give me a ghost or werewolf any day.  Surprisingly we never came across them in our journeys across the country.  I am sure I had Dad to thank for that.  Now with him being AWOL, it would have been helpful if I learned more about them.

"First things first, we got to find it." Dean said, getting up with his Walkman/EMF.  He started walking the plane’s aisles, waving the EMF reader left and right to try and get a read. Sam followed after him and clapped him on the shoulder.  They started talking and I sat back in my seat

I looked around, feeling uneasy.  I looked to the back of the plane and saw the co-pilot leaving the bathroom.  His eyes flashed from his normal shade to tar black for a milli-second and then turned back to normal.  I bolted out of my seat and walked quickly to the guys.  Sam asked what was wrong and I pointed my finger to the co-pilot, “Christo.”

The co-pilot stopped, winced and turned slowly to look at us. His eyes flashed back to black. The demon flashed us a smile and went back to the cockpit. He slammed the door shut, and we heard the sound of the lock shortly after.

"Son of a bitch!" Dean exclaimed. Dean and I looked down the aisle and I could see his look of determination once he spotted Amanda. Without hesitating he started walking down the aisle toward her.

"Dean, think about this. She's not going to believe us." I whispered, following him.

"Kat, twelve minutes!" Dean said frantically.

I sighed frustratedly and nodded for us to go ahead.  We were running out of time and this Amanda was our only option left.

Amanda took in the sight of the three of us standing in front of her, quirked her eyebrows in a curious manner and smiled at us, "Oh, hi. Flight's not too bumpy for you I hope." She said.

I closed the curtain and decided to stay near it, just in case someone decided to interrupt us.

"Actually, that's kind of what we need to talk to you about." Dean said.

"Um, okay. What can I do for you?" Amanda asked.

"All right, this is gonna sound nuts, I know, but we just don't have time for the whole "the truth is out there" speech right now." Dean started, shaking his head. Amanda was gazing at him, not understanding a word of what he was saying.

"All right, look, we know you were on flight 2485." Sam anxiously cut in.  Amanda's smile disappeared.

"Alright, who are you guys?" She asked.

"Now, we've spoken to some of the other survivors. We know something brought down that plane and it wasn't a mechanical failure." Dean continued. "We need your help because we need to stop it from happening again. Here. Now."

Amanda tried to brush past Dean, "I'm sorry, I—I'm very busy. I have to go back..." I blocked her from leaving.

"Whoa!  Wait a second. We are not gonna hurt you, okay? But, uh, just listen to me. The pilot in 2485, Chuck Lambert, he's dead." Dean said quickly, trying to get her to understand the danger we were all in.

"Wait. What? What, Chuck is dead?" She asked, not believing us.

"He died in a plane crash about 9 hours ago. Now, that's two plane crashes in two months. That doesn't strike you as strange?" I asked from the curtain, her eyes meeting mine.

"Look, there was something wrong with 2485. Now maybe you sensed it, maybe you didn't. But there's something wrong with this flight, too." Sam cut in, extending his arm towards her and giving her his “trust me” eyes.

"Amanda, you have to believe us." I begged. She considered what we had said, her eyes scanning the plane, with a sigh she nodded.

"On 2485, there was this man. He had these eyes, they… they turned black." She said. The boys were nodding.

"Yes. That's exactly what we're talking about." Sam encouraged.

"I don't understand, what are you asking me to do?" She asked frightened.

"Okay. The co-pilot, we need you to bring him back here." I told her.

"Why? What does he have to do with anything?" She looked doubtful.

"Don't have time to explain. We just need to talk to him. Okay?" Dean said and pushed her to get down to the cockpit.

"How am I supposed to go in the cockpit and get the co-pilot?" She asked.

"Whatever it takes. Do whatever it takes. Tell him there's something broken back here, whatever will get him out of that cockpit." Sam said.

"I could lose my job if you-" She was interrupted by Dean.

"Honey, you will lose a lot more if you don't help us out." Dean shouted in a a whispered tone, looking into her eyes. I looked at Dean’s watch and saw we only had eight minutes left.

Amanda was hesitant for a minute and then she nodded, "Ok," and left, walking quickly down toward the cockpit. She knocked on the cockpit door and the co-pilot answered.  I wasn’t too sure what she said to him, exactly, but it got him moving toward us. Sam pulled the holy water out from his hoodie and Dean handed me Dad’s journal, I quickly started to skim the pages until I found the page with the exorcism we would need.

"OK, what's the problem?" The co-pilot asked, stepping behind the curtain into the galley. Dean acted instantly, punching him in the face and knocking him to the floor. I jumped on his body, pinning him there and Sam acted quickly, putting duct tape over his mouth and grabbed his legs, pinning them to the ground.

"Wait. What are you doing? You said you were just going to talk to him!" Amanda said anxiously.

"We are gonna talk to him," Dean said, still holding the co-pilot down. Sam splashed holy water on the co-pilot's chest, and his skin began to hiss and sizzle, blistering and burning.

"Oh my god. What's wrong with him?" Amanda exclaimed.

"Look. We need you calm. We need you outside the curtain." Sam said, pushing her toward the aisle.

"Well, I don't underst—I don't know..." Sam gave her one last push behind the curtain.

"Don't let anybody in, okay? Can you do that? Can you do that,  Amanda?" Sam said.

Once I felt that the co-pilot was secure enough, I started reading the exorcism. "Regna terrae...cantate Deo, psallite Domino—qui fertis ascendit, super caelum..."

The copilot started struggling and Dean punched him in the face again.  I continued reading, it was proving more difficult than I was planning.  The demon was fighting the exorcism and I was still on the co-pilot.

Dean growled, "I can’t hold him much longer." Dean poured more holy water on the man, the demon inside growled fiercely  through the duct tape.

"caeli ad Orientem. Ecce dabit..." I continued to chant as the guys continued to fight against the demon.

The demon broke free from Dean's hold, he knocked me off him, which the journal flying into a corner. He pushed Dean away and kicked Sam against the wall.  I shook away the pain that started to throb in my head and quickly crawled across the floor and grabbed the journal back.

Dean launched himself at the demon, but it threw him off again and ripped the tape from his mouth. He grabbed Sam by the collar; eyes pitch black and an evil voice came out of his mouth.

"I know what happened to your girlfriend! She must have died screaming! Even now, she's burning!"

Dean quickly punched the demon to shut him up.  Sam and I were frozen, what else could he know about?

"Kat!" Dean yelled urgently, bringing me back from my thoughts.  I snapped to it and began reading again, "voci suae vocum virtutis tribuite virtutem deo."

We felt and saw the co-pilot go slack and a plum of black smoke leave his body and evaporate in the plane.  The demon was now out of the co-pilots body and stronger than before.  I needed to finish the second part… and soon.

"It's in the plane." Dean said to us, he then looked over to me. "Hurry up Kat, we have to finish it."

I nodded and started reading the second part of the exorcism. "Exorcizamus te, omnis immundus spiritus, omnis satanica potestas, omnis incursio, infernalis adversarii, omnis legio, omnis congregatio et secta diabolica. Ergo draco maledicte, et omnis legio diabolica, adjuramus te.” I was reading as fast as I could, but the lights of the plane started flickering around us.

The plane plummeted and I stumbled, dropping the journal. It slid under the curtain into the aisle. All I could think about was the fact that I needed to get that journal.  I crawled out into the aisle after the journal, all around me the passengers were screaming in fear.  I was able to find the journal under a passenger’s seat, despite the flickering cabin lights.

Finding the entry again, I stood up and continued reading. "Cessa decipere humanas creaturas, eisque aeternae Perditionis venenum , Satana, inventor et magister omnis fallaciae, hostis humanae salutis. Humiliare sub potenti manu dei, contremisce et effuge, invocato a nobis sancto et terribili nomine, quem inferi tremunt."  I felt the plane falling.  I took a second to feel panic but snapped out of it quickly and continued reading from the journal, it was our only chance at surviving this night.

"Ab insidiis diaboli, libera nos, Domine. Ut Ecclesiam tuam secura tibi facias libertate servire te rogamus, audi nos. Ut inimicos sanctae Ecclesiae humiliare digneris, te rogamus, audi nos." The engines of the plane started sending out a high pitch as the plane dove closer to the ground, "Terribilis Deus de sanctuario suo.  Deus Israhel ipse truderit virtutem et fortitudinem plebi Suae.  Benedictus deus. Gloria patri!" I shouted with finality.

 It was done and all of a sudden an electrical charge ran through the whole of the plane, and the plane finally levelled out. People all around me started to get into their seats, struggling over the trash and bags that were thrown about during the fall.  I looked for Dean and found him still in the galley, leaning against a wall, looking ghostly white. I smiled at Sam, who was just standing up, gave him a pat and a kiss on the cheek and handed the journal off to him. I walked over to Dean and sat down next to him, plopping my head on his shoulder.  We both let out a deep sigh and I smiled as I felt him place a lingering kiss on my forehead.

"I knew you could do it." He said affection thick in his voice, "You ok?"

"Yeah, I think so..." I said, "You?"

"I will be as soon as we get off this fucking plane." He said, putting his arm around me and pulling me close.

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**Airport Terminal**

We were walking around the airport terminal taking in the craziness around us, there were paramedics helping people through the airport.  The FAA was speaking quietly to the co-pilot, who was wrapped in a blanket sitting in a wheelchair.  I could faintly hear him telling them his story.  I felt so sorry for the man, I sent a quick prayer that this would not ruin his career.

I saw that Amanda was finishing up being questioned by the FBI.  Her eyes met mine just as the guys came up to me.  They turned and saw I was looking at Amanda; she mouthed a thank you towards us.  I returned it with a smile and a nod, the same as Sam and Dean.

"Let's get out of here." Dean said, taking both my hands and started pulling me towards the exit. Sam followed but was walking slower and had his angry, bitch face on.

"Sam, are you ok?” I asked, getting Dean to stop and turn his attention to his brother.

"Guys... It knew about Jessica." He said, taking a breath, looking around him then staring at Dean.  I knew Sam would get hung up on what the demon said.

"Sam, these… these things? They read mind and are professional at lying." I said, looking at him, trying to make him feel better.

"Yeah, that's all it was." Dean agreed, nodding.

Sam looked unconvinced, his eyes were hurting. "Yeah?”

"Yeah." Dean said, patting him on the shoulder. "Come on." 

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**Plane Hangar**

We were all back at Jerry’s hangar leaning against Baby with beers in our hand.  I knew I was never _ever_ going to be able to convince Dean to get back on a plane again but we would make do.  Jerry came walking up and stopped to stand in front of us with a smile on.

"Nobody knows what you guys did, but I do. A lot of people could have been killed." He said, shaking each of our hands.

"Your Dad's gonna be real proud." He said. I smiled sadly, knowing this was the truth but first we would have to find him.  We finished our beers, contently basking in the silence.  Den let out a sigh that signified it was time for us to move on down the road.

"We'll see you around Jerry." I said, giving him a hug and a kiss on the cheek. Jerry started walking back toward his office.

Dean paused and called out to the man, "You know, Jerry. I meant to ask you, how did you get my cellphone number anyway? I've only had it for like six months."

"Your Dad gave it to me." He answered, and all of our faces registered surprise.

"What?" Sam said.

"When did you talk to him?" Dean asked urgently.

"I mean, I didn't exactly talk to him, but I called his number. His voice message said to give you a call.  Thanks again guys."

Dean made it about two miles down the road before he pulled over and turned off the engine.  I got out of the car and pulled the trunk open, grabbed the cooler and slammed the trunk shut.  I hopped up on the trunk and stared off up at the sky.  I knew Dean would come out on his own time, I would be there waiting with an open beer.

I heard the doors open, felt the car shift from the guys getting out and then the closing of the doors.  I felt Dean lean up against Baby and my legs, wordlessly I cracked open his beer and handed it to him.

"This doesn't make any sense, man. I've called Dad's number like fifty times. It's been out of service." Sam said. I nodded. The three of us have all called John, countless times but we all got the same result.

Dean started dialing dad’s number on his phone, he turned on the speaker phone and John's familiar voice came over the speaker. "This is John Winchester. I can't be reached. If this is an emergency, call my son, Dean. 785-555-0179. He can help."

Sam was shaking, unfallen tears in his eyes. I put my arm around his shoulders, trying to comfort him, he wrapped his arms around me, know that I needed comfort just as much as he did.  Despite feeling frustrated that our father was ignoring our calls, I felt relieved that at least he was alive and well.

I pulled away from Sam and looked over at Dean, who was staring at the ground, saying nothing.  

I scooted behind him and wrapped my arms and legs around him.  I felt his arms grab mine and he let out a shaky breath, telling me how hard he was trying to stay put together.

Sam shook his head and pushed away from the car and walked around to get in the passenger seat.

Why was Dad not contacting us?  Why was he giving people Dean’s number?  How much did he know about what we were going through?  Even though we now knew dad was alive we had more questions than ever.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys!! Sorry it has taken me so long to get this chapter up and I'm even more sorry that I had to split the chapters in two. I m going to tr a different approach next chapter and I have already started working on it. Leave some comments so I know I am not alone out here!


	7. Skin/A Little Vacation

**48 Hours earlier**

_I woke to a realize that I was no longer in the streets with Dean, I was tied to a ladder or something in dark room somewhere. The last thing I remember was Dean, no look-like-Dean, kissing me and then knocking my head against the hood of Impala._

_I quickly looked around and saw that the shapeshifter had Sam tied up also, “Sam! Sammy, wake up!” I whispered frantically._

_“Kat? Are you ok?”_

_The shapeshifter suddenly appeared wearing Dean's image. It was easy to tell it wasn’t Dean this time, Dean never looked so evil, so menacing, even when he was hunting. He walked up to Sam, looked over at me, and backhanded him._

_"Stop it! Where is he? Where is Dean?" I shouted, fighting to get the ropes loosened._

_"I wouldn't worry about him. I'd worry more about you, Sweetheart." He said to me with Dean's voice._

_Hearing him call me Dean’s nickname for me pissed me off to no end. I spat in his face, “Fuck off you wanna-be!”_

_He reared his hand back and slapped me so hard that Mary’s wedding band cut my cheek_

_We watched Dean go through all of our weapons from the Impala and he went on about how the more he learned about our family the more he thought his upbringing was normal._

_"What do you mean, learn?" I asked, frowning._

_From how the shapeshifter was talking I was able to figure out that the longer they stayed as one form the more they absorbed their memories, their emotions._

_‘Dean’ turned to Sam._

_"He's sure got issues with you. You got to go to college. He had to stay home. I mean, I had to stay home. With Dad."_

_‘Dean’ then pointed over to me, "And Kat? You don't think I had dreams of my own? You don’t think I want to give her a normal apple pie life like she deserves? I want that! I want a real family, Sam! But Dad needed me. Where the Hell were you?"_

_"Where is my brother?" Sam asked._

_"I am your brother. See, deep down, I'm just jealous. You got friends. You could have a life. Me? I know I'm a freak. And sooner or later," He glanced over at me again, giving me a pointed look. "Everybody's gonna leave me." He backed away._

_"What are you talking about?" I asked.  
"Come on, Sam left. Hell, I did everything Dad asked me to and he ditched me too. No explanation, nothing, just poof. Left me with you pair of sorry asses. But, still, this life? It's not without its perks." He laughed. "I meet the nicest people. Like little Becky. You know, Dean would bang her if he didn’t have your sweet ass." I glared at him and then glared at the floor._

_"Let's see what happens when I pay her a visit." He said with a smile. He reached down to grab me by the chin, forcing me to look into his eyes. "Don’t worry thought Kat, when done with Becky, I'll come back to you, one good thing about getting Dean’s memories are that I know everything you like. I’ll make you feel good." He ran a hand along my leg and slipped his hand over my groin making sure I knew I had no power._

_“Get away from her!” Sam shouted, struggling against his ropes._

_The shapeshifter just laughed in my face and turned around and left._

_"Sam, we gotta get out of here." I said, renewing the fight against my ropes, finally I managed to get the rope loose enough to free one of my wrists._

_"Yeah, yeah." Sam agreed. "Are you ok?"_

_A cough alerted us_

_"That better be you Kat, and not that freak of nature!" Dean's voice echoed in the room. I let out a sigh of relief and stood up. Sam laughed._

_"Yeah, it's me." I answered. I moved further along the room, and saw Dean appear from under a canvas cloth that the shapeshifter had put over him. He was tied to another pole, struggling with his ropes. I crouched down, and started sawing at his ropes with the pocketknife._

_"Are you ok?" I asked, concerned. He looked at me and grunted._

_"Yeah," he answered. I had managed to free him from the ropes at his wrists and he ruffled my hair affectionately, then noticed the red welt on my cheek and his eyes darkened with anger._

_"He do that to you?" He asked, touching the spot gently. I winced and nodded, moving to cut the ropes binding his neck. "I'm gonna kill that son of a bitch!" He declared. I smiled, and helped him to his feet. He put his hands either side of my face and inspected me, eyes looking for any other marks._

_"Are you ok?" He asked. I nodded. "You sure?"_

_"Yeah... yeah I'm fine." I said quietly. He looked at me a little longer until Sam cleared his throat, breaking the moment_

_"Uh... guys? Little help here?" He said. I jumped, having totally forgotten about him. Quickly I moved to free him of his binds, Dean helping him up to his feet._

_"We have to hurry. He went to Rebecca's, looking like you." I said to Dean._

_Dean grinned. "Well, he's not stupid. He picked the handsome one." He chuckled, punching Sam playfully in the arm. Sam just frowned._

_We looked around. We were in some kind of boiler room, or industrial warehouse. There didn't seem to be any fluorescent lighting, candles burned in the corners of the room, giving us a bit of light to see by, but not much._

_"That's the thing." Sam was saying, looking at one of the walls. "He didn't just look like you, he was you. Or he was becoming you." He said, glancing back at his brother._

_"What do you mean?" Dean asked, his hand on my lower back, steering me ahead of him and down a short hall. He hadn't stopped touching me since he'd seen the welt on my face._

_"It was like he was downloading your thoughts and memories." I said, thinking back to the way he'd grabbed his head. Light caught my eye and I moved ahead of Dean, leading him. Sam followed us._

_"You mean like a Vulcan mind meld?" Dean asked, curious._

_"Yeah, something like that." I said thoughtfully, meeting his eyes._

_"Maybe that's why he doesn't just kill us." Sam said, rushing past me to a window that was boarded up. He started pulling at the boards, breaking one free._

_"Maybe he needs to keep us alive. Psychic connection?" Dean asked, getting in on the action. They made short work of the boards and pushed the window open. Sam stuck his head out, and then pulled himself through. He reached back a hand once he was on the other side and I grabbed it, letting him pull me up. Dean pushed me from behind and I scrambled through the window and found myself in a dark alley._

_Sam helped Dean up, the latter groaning at the strain on his injured shoulder, and I put my arm under his to steady him as he stood up._

_"Come on. We gotta find a phone, call the police, he's probably at Rebecca's already." Sam said._

_"Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa!" Dean said, pulling away from me. "You're gonna put an APB out on me?" He asked. Sam shrugged._

_"Sorry." He said sheepishly. Dean sighed._

_We were standing in front of a store window, a news report was being shown on the display TVs there. Dean had his arm around me, and we watched as a sketch of Dean appeared on the screen._

_“Aw man, that’s not even a good picture!” Dean whined. Sam and I just looked at each other incredulously.  
"It's good enough." Sam said, looking around cautiously at the people walking past and starting to walk away from the store. Dean followed after Sam, pulling me with him. Sam led us into an alley nearby, Dean stepped in a puddle and groaned._

_"Come on." Sam said. "They said attempted murder. At least we know..."_

_"I didn't kill her." Dean said._

_Once we realized we had no weapons to take the monster out we went back to Becky’s house to look for Baby. Dean whined about it driving his car, we told him to let it go and at least he didn’t wreck it._

_When we got to Becky’s house we stopped, seeing the police were still there. Sam allowed himself to get caught in order for Dean and I to get away. The police also didn’t have anything to hold him on. We waited a few hours until we knew for sure that the police were no longer in area. We quickly ran up to the trunk of Baby and started loading silver bullets into our guns and grabbed a few more for back up ammo. Once we were fully loaded, we went down into the sewers once more._

_After going into the sewers, we found the sewer lined with blood, guts, and skin. I barely managed to hold back the contents of my stomach. We heard something further down in the tunnel and we glanced at each other. Raising up our guns, ready for a fight, we continued on and shortly came to chamber that was lit with candles. In the corner there was a green canvas, the noise came from underneath it. Dean pulled the canvas back and I couldn't believe who I was looking at. The blond was bloodied, and beaten, bound at the hands, her arms pinned with rope around her stomach._

_"Rebecca?" I exclaimed, she flinched, her first sight of Dean._

_"It's ok, it's ok." I said, going to her. She looked at me, fear in her eyes. "It's us, you're safe." I reassured her. Dean was quickly sawing at the ropes to get her free._

_"What happened?" Dean asked._

_"I was walking home, and everything just went white. Someone hit me over the head, and I wound up here, just in time to see that thing turn into me." She said. "I don't know, how is that even possible?" She asked, looking at us both crying._

_We didn’t have time to explain everything, we promised her we would tell her everything but that we needed to hurry because Sam was at her house._

_We got there just in time to rescue Sam, who was being choked by the Dean-Look-Alike. Fighting ensued but thankfully our Dean won._

_Dean and I were looking at a map on the hood of the Impala, mapping out our next few hours of driving. I looked up and saw Sam come out of the house with Rebecca._

_We heard Becky ask Sam if he would call her sometime, he nodded his head and said it might be a while before he does. I smiled, hoping that he really would. Sam wasn’t like us, he needed some sense of normalcy in his life. Dean and I? This life was our normal._

_"So what about your friend Zack?" Dean asked, moving to open the driver's door when Sam joined us._

_"Cops are blaming this Dean Winchester guy for Emily's murder. They found the weapon in the guy's lair, Zack's clothes stained with her blood. Now they're thinking maybe the surveillance tape was tampered with." He smirked._

_"Yeah, Becky says Zack will be released soon." He smiled and Dean rolled his eyes, getting into the car. I grabbed the map and slid into the back seat behind Dean._

_We were headed out of town, all lost in our own thoughts when Dean suddenly spoke up._

_"Sorry, man." He said, looking over at Sam._

_"About what?" Sam asked._

_"I really wish things could be different, you know? I wish you could just be... Joe College." It was the best Sam was going to get out of Dean, but at least he was trying.  
"No, that's okay," Sam said, looking out the window. "You know, the truth is, even at Stanford, deep down I never really fit in."_

_"Well that's 'cause you're a freak." Dean smirked._

_"Yeah, thanks." Sam said, looking over at him._

_"Well I'm a freak too. I'm right there with ya, all the way." Dean said. Sam laughed and I shook my head._

_"Yeah, I know you are." He said softly._

_There was a pause as Dean thought about something.  
"You know, I gotta say – I'm sorry I'm gonna miss it." He said, suddenly._

_"Miss what?" I asked from behind him. He looked at me through the rearview mirror, a twinkle in his eye._

_"How many chances am I gonna have to see my own funeral?" He asked, smiling at me. I chuckled and shook my head. I wasn't sure I wanted to know the answer._

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Nashville, TN  
We wanted to put as much distance between us and St. Louis, just in case some police officer recognized Dean. That would have been a hell of an explanation! I figured since we had no case, nowhere to be, and Dean and I said something about a vacation, why not go to Nashville. I, unlike Dean, don’t discriminate against music. I wanted someplace I could cut a rug and let loose for once, who knows maybe even get Dean to dance with me.

Once we got into town, we found a cheap motel and Dean bought us two rooms, “Sorry Sammy but you don’t want to share with us this time. I got you a room farthest from us. See how thoughtful I am?” Dean smirked. Sam groaned, grabbed his room key and stalked off. I just rolled my eyes, walked up to Dean, grabbed our key card, and his belt loop and pulled him towards our room.

“Kat, what about our bags?”

“Baby, I will have you forgetting all about our bags in less than two minutes.” ‘That should shut him up’ I told him and pulled him into our room.

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I am so incredibly sorry it has taken me almost 2 years to post up here. Life is crazy, between moving, college, getting engaged and planning a wedding, and starting a new job, I just let this story slip away. I was going to write more but I just wanted to get what I had out already. Should I make you wait until we are further along with more chapters to get to the smutty stuff or do you want to see it now? Also PLEASE let me know how you are liking it. Reviews always help push me to get the story out faster. That being said, I need to reread what I have posted and remember key story plots that I had in mind for this story. Love you all and thank you for being so damn patient with me!


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